Karen Murray narrates this detailed exploration of how women in the United States are holding together families as systems of governmental aid become less available because of greed. During WWII the nation offered childcare to women working in factories to help the war effort, as well as other assistance to help growing families in times of crisis. This new audiobook explores how women in the U.S. ended up being saddled with childcare, elder care, and community care due to damaging ideals such as meritocracy, the prosperity gospel, and other flawed ways of thinking. Murray narrates this informative audiobook with steady poise and a strong tone that keeps the listener's attention. Author Jessica Calarco narrates her own introduction, giving listeners an opportunity to hear from the writer/researcher herself.
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593867495
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Amber Dekkers guides listeners through the trials and tribulations of the relatively unknown writer Sanora Babb. Her life began with an abusive and impoverished childhood in eastern Colorado. As an adult in California, she associated with creatives such as Ray Bradbury, James Wong Howe, and Ralph Ellison. Her own writing, however, was often pushed aside and ignored. Dekkers' thoughtful narration takes listeners through Babb's complicated life, which included being blacklisted during the McCarthy era and her illegal (at the time) interracial relationships. Dekkers' emotionally balanced performance allows listeners to take in the life of a writer who sought joy even in tragedy.
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798331958947
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Sophie Gilbert provides an informed yet approachable delivery of her research on pop culture and how misogyny framed the narrative of commercial feminine empowerment. Listeners who came of age during the late 1990s through the 2000s, or were plugged into the popular cultural moments then, may have vivid memories of Britney Spears at the Video Music Awards, Kim Kardashian on reality TV, and/or the ever-present pressure to "lean in," originating with Sheryl Sandberg. In an even delivery and a reflective tone, Gilbert conveys her research on how misogynistic cultural messages, some bolstered by the rise of violent Internet pornography, had a direct impact on the development of the Millennial generation. Her audiobook is a critical reflection on popular consumer culture.
Pub Date: April 29, 2025
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217021376
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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