A two-year sailing trip for John and Jean Silverwood and their four children ends when they crash into a coral reef in the Pacific Ocean and are stranded. They have survived pirates, storms, and family arguments. Ironically, their boat's destruction brings them closer. Carrington MacDuffie expresses Jean’s excitement at global scenic spots, her pride in son Ben's growing maturity, and her disappointment at her husband’s slips from sobriety. Joe Barrett, as John, picks up the story with the aftermath of the crash, the amputation of his leg, and the story of an 1857 wreck on the same reef. Husky-voiced and volatile, John is obviously the more emotional of the two parents. Both narrators deliver foreign accents well, and their dual reading makes this loosely organized adventure tale special. J.B.G. 2009 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: July 1, 2008
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
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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