Jo Ann Beard's narration of her autobiographical remembrances of boys (and girls) past is low-key, recounting her early family life, starting with her observations from within the bars of her crib, her perceptions of those around her, her alcoholic father, her mother's death, and her interactions with others. She tells of the day she stayed home to take care of her sick dog and a crazed employee massacred her co-workers. Yet even this high drama limps along, delivered in a monotone that might be mistaken for intimacy but is, sadly, just dull. While the nature of memory is rambling and not specific, perhaps in the hands of a professional, skilled narrator these bits and pieces from Beard's girlhood and adult life might have been engaging.
Pub Date: June 14, 2016
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781478913672
Publisher: Hachette 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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