This memoir often sounds as if narrator Eileen Stevens has pulled up a chair at a farm's kitchen table to tell stories. Her familiar tone and conversational cadence work. Though chef Iliana Regan's story is fraught with bouts of alcoholism and self-destructive behavior, including sexual adventurism and tragic loss, her remarkable focus, drive, and farm-girl pluck win out. Her Indiana farm roots never leave her. There's a remarkable chapter on hunting frogs and an ongoing celebration of farm cooking. This audiobook divulges an extraordinary life story as the narrative zigzags through the highs and lows of Regan's rise to chef/owner of the Michelin one-star restaurant Elizabeth's in Chicago. This coming-of-age story is also a self-portrait of overcoming addiction and embracing LGBTQ sexuality. BURN THE PLACE shows a survivor who prevails.
Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2019
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone 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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