Gregory Pardlo examines the considerable presence, and then eventual absence, of his father in this revealing memoir about family, life, and manhood. In narrating his own work, he makes the listening experience intimate, almost painfully so, as he weaves together the historical treatment of African-Americans in the U.S. with his family's experiences. Sharing the ups and downs of his childhood, as determined by the whims of his father's mercurial personality, Pardlo persists in peeling back the layers of disappointment with a calculated precision. His muted approach in retelling his father's battles with addiction and significant amounts of debt underscores this complicated legacy. Pardlo's warm timbre will linger in the listener's ear long after he has stopped speaking.
Pub Date: April 10, 2018
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525588689
Publisher: Random House Audio
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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