Allende wrote this memoir of Chile and her childhood because “nation and tribe are confused in my mind.” The catalyst was the “blood-chilling coincidence” of two disasters--the CIA overthrow of the Chilean governmenton September 11, 1973, and the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. In her incomparable style, Allende outlines Chile’s “enchanted regions,” its classist society, its tumultuous government, and the duality of her writer’s sense of belonging yet being an outsider. The extraordinary talent of Blair Brown enhances Allende’s gifts as a storyteller. Brown allows the listener to share Allende’s deep emotional bonds with her family and her two countries, Chile and the United States, without being excessive. Her self-assured, dignified performance frees the memoir to make its own revelations, unsentimentally.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Harper 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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