A business journalist combines flawless narration with intelligent writing to explain how cultural and institutional barriers have blocked U.S. women's access to financial independence and the power that comes with it. Josie Cox's mature-sounding performance and British accent add dignity to her careful research and writing. The stories of pioneers like Betty Friedan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Shirley Chisholm are inspiring, along with accounts of lesser-known women who fought to develop birth control pills in the 1950s or broke through obstacles to attend good schools or work in banking and financial policy. Cox's astute grasp of culture, power, and institutional dynamics and her compelling performance make this audiobook a seminal guide to the continuing fight for gender equality.
Pub Date: March 5, 2024
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798891788664
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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