Listening to bestselling author Judith Viorst narrate her own stories and poems--and share tales from others about life in the "final fifth"--is a special experience. Listeners will appreciate the bittersweet humor and candid reflections on the ups and downs of life in one's 90s. Viorst shares her own journey, including moving from the home where she raised her children to a retirement community, and, most poignantly, the heartbreak of losing her beloved spouse. Her voice is perfectly suited to exploring both the joys of the happiness curve and the challenges of aging, including the body's frailty. Viorst speaks with warmth, honesty, and wit, making this an engaging, touching listen. It's a celebration of resilience, memory, and meaning--rich with life's final lessons.
Pub Date: April 1, 2025
Duration: 4 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668114353
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Griffiths narrates her poetic memoir, marked by two traumatic life events, with precision. Griffiths' emotive narration takes measure of the joys and sorrows she experiences in tender moments spent with her best friend, Kamilah Aisha Moon, a talented poet, as they share a deep connection and support each other's work. Despair comes on "the best and worst day" of her life, when Aisha dies on the same day that Griffiths weds author Salman Rushdie. Despite her own marital bliss, Griffiths is consumed by an overwhelming grief, and it has only begun to subside a year later when Rushdie is stabbed, nearly fatally. Again, Griffiths is plunged into depression. This story of love and loss is as strong in emotion as it is in poignant imagery and lyricism.
Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217176441
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Only author Roy Wood Jr. could have imbued this narration with such empathy as he unflinchingly tells his life story, a cautionary tale for his newborn son. The comedian and actor recounts his complicated relationship with his own, mostly absent, father--a civil rights leader and respected radio announcer with another family who never divorced Wood's mother. She forced her estranged husband to take her and Wood Jr. in after a misadventure by young Roy. Wood Sr. dispensed wisdom and advice to hundreds but was judgmental and aloof to the one person who needed him most, his son. Even so, Wood Jr. learned what to do and not to do from his father and the other men who floated in and out of his life.
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217165780
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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