Narrator Soneela Nankani becomes Dava Shastri, a business mogul and family matriarch, as she leaks fake news of her own death to the media. This is a fun exploration of personal secrets and the legacies we leave behind. Nankani captures the arch tones of a wealthy, mostly superficial elderly woman who actually is dying. From the wide-ranging family members, aghast at their mother's obsession with her own death, to her long-held secrets, this is a romp of a tale that listeners will enjoy. Nankani maximizes the comedy throughout and balances the laughter with a tone of underlying introspection that is appropriate to the theme of mortality. For those who are looking for a unique family saga, there is much to admire here.
Pub Date: 2021
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781549134111
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In this sequel to Terms of Endearment, Larry McMurtry brings back Aurora Greenway, who is now dealing with her various lovers and friends plus three grown grandchildren with a variety of problems. He presents a tale of growing up and growing old which is bittersweet and funny. Narrator Ivey uses a slight east Texas accent which authenticates the setting of the story. Each character's voice has a slightly different inflection to differentiate it. It all works together well. As you listen, you feel as if you might actually be in Houston sharing the lives of these resilient and refreshing people.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 20 hrs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An unusual and inspiring piece of WWII propaganda, this 1942 novella was composed as a play, published as a book and made into a finely acted film. Steinbeck presents an impossibly noble Norwegian village under Fascist occupation. George Guidall’s wonted cordiality makes him sound like a warm-hearted neighbor inviting you to make yourself comfortable in his parlor. And the experience and technique of his many years as an actor and audiobook narrator enable him to give this work’s many characters individuality and soul without resorting to vocal tricks. He has wisely chosen simplicity and sincerity as the best approach. It’s an amazing and immensely satisfying performance of--if not one of the greatest of Steinbeck’s works--then one of the best paeans to liberty and community of its age.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781101530948
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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