The gentle voice of narrator Mary Sarah lends a wistful quality to this memoir by Francoise Gilot, Picasso's mistress of 10 years and the mother of two of his children. Forty years younger than Picasso, Gilot was a self-aware young woman coming into her own as an artist. She describes with remarkable candor the intimate details of their stormy relationship and of Picasso's artistic genius. Sarah's fluency in French is evident and adds authenticity to dialogue, names, and places in France. While she delivers most of the memoir in a light feminine tone, she drops to a remarkably lower and hushed register for Picasso, who notoriously tried to prevent the publication of this book in 1964. Today's listener will still find this memoir fascinating.
Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2020
Duration: 15 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781977365019
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
James Michener tells the real stories behind the man and his books. The recording is read with skill and consistency although the reader does little to enhance the robust, larger-than-life incidents related in the book. Due to the first-person narrative format, there is no opportunity for the narrator to change his voice. This makes some chapters monotonous as they go on and on in the typical Michener style. The listener may also become confused because the stories are not told chronologically. This is not a great choice for the audio format, but Michener fans may stick with it to the end.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a quest for a sense of inner contentment and self-worth, Gloria Steinem brings the reader on a journey of investigation and discovery. Steinem reads the text herself in a straightforward and friendly, but not intimate, presentation which is so easy to listen to it invites repetition--thus ensuring the painless relearning of the lessons of the book. It's difficult to tell from the reading that this audiobook is abridged; each section can stand alone. Nonetheless, the listener wished the book were unabridged. Steinem left me wanting to learn more.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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