A NEW YORK TIMES journalist documents the heart-wrenching choices she and her brother faced in caring for their mother during her last years. The lengthy but compelling narrative describes the relentless apprehension she felt about her mother’s deteriorating health and the frustrations she had with byzantine federal healthcare regulations and the shortcomings of private facilities. The dominant tone in Kate Reading’s flawless performance is resignation and persistence. While keeping the melodrama out of this very personal documentary, she captures the author’s determined efforts to arrange the best care for her mother in the midst of overworked care providers, dwindling financial resources, and her mother’s outspoken unhappiness. With a plethora of wisdom and good advice, this is an eye-opening look at end-of-life challenges and how current institutions are handling them.
Pub Date: April 26, 2011
Duration: 15 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Rodrigo Garcia narrates his brief but powerful memoir about the passing of his parents. His father was the literary giant Gabriel García Márquez. His mother, Mercedes Barcha, was also a giant--of their family. Garcia narrates the events of the months leading up to their deaths with tactical precision that can come across as emotionless. However, his reservation allows listeners to focus on the words and feelings of his mother, brother, and the plethora of people who paid tribute to his father. Fans of García Márquez will want to listen, of course, but anyone who has lost a family member will also want to hear this audiobook.
Pub Date: July 27, 2021
Duration: 2 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063158344
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ah, seventh grade . . . If you’re brave enough to revisit that turbulent time of shifting social alliances and raging hormones, this may be the memoir for you. Narrator Kirby Heyborne portrays Kevin Brockmeier, a sensitive, imaginative, funny kid who is struggling to understand the changes taking place within himself and his friends. Heyborne's gentle and thoughtful narration complements the personality of the young Kevin, who can't seem to figure out the hows and whys of his friends' behavior as he and they seek to establish their own unique personalities somewhere between childhood and young adulthood. Heyborne also excels at capturing the mocking tones and insensitivity of Kevin's questionable friends.
Pub Date: April 15, 2014
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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