Hyeseung Song narrates her memoir with a rhythm that balances her poetry with the hardships she experienced as the daughter of Korean immigrants. Early on, she expresses her discomfort with the dichotomy between her father's get-rich-quick schemes and her mother's endless work to support his whims. In painful vignettes, Song details the narrow views of Texas teachers, peers, and parents who continually point out her poverty and ethnicity as she struggles to form her identity. Song's expressiveness allows listeners to imagine the tension she felt at trying to live up to her mother's expectations and her eventual understanding of how depression and minority myths turned her into someone who cannot be the stereotypical perfect daughter. Ultimately, courage shines through Song's words as she discovers the joy of making art.
Pub Date: July 16, 2024
Duration: 7 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797177359
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 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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