Author Laura Thompson gives an engaging and well-packed narration of this expansive history of British and American heiresses from the seventeenth century to the present day. Thompson is a gifted storyteller who places appropriate emphasis on words or phrases to accentuate their importance. Some heiresses are familiar--Consuelo Vanderbilt and Barbara Hutton, for example--while others are less well known. Thompson details the women's everyday lives, noting the threats to their safety. In the seventeenth and eighteen centuries heiresses were often kidnapped and forced to marry against their will. The volume also incorporates stories of heiresses who promoted good works, including activist Nancy Cunard and philanthropist Angela Burdett-Coutts. Thompson provides intriguing social commentary by weaving in mentions of novels with wealthy female characters.
Pub Date: March 8, 2022
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250837554
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Brisk, fluent, pleasing to the ear, Emma Gregory's narration does justice to a fine historian and her landmark biography of one of Britain's most misunderstood rulers. On the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, Scotland's James VI became England's James I, first in the Stuart line. James was one of Britain's most intelligent and energetic rulers, and one the most complex. Today he is accepted for the inclinations that have marginalized him for centuries and in this fine narrative is properly assessed for the singular place he holds in Britain's history. The narrative is organized topically, rather than strictly chronologically, and requires a high level of vocal skill to deliver clearly and effectively. This finely nuanced biography has the gifted, insightful narrator it deserves.
Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2025
Duration: 18 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798318527753
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The limited time she had to campaign was just one of the many obstacles Kamala Harris had to overcome as the first woman of color to run for president. Though she's been accused of seeing herself as a victim in this revealing political memoir, the tone of her performance gently rejects that characterization. With her careful phrasing and clear enunciation, she sounds calm, thoughtful, and self-aware, taking responsibility when appropriate and pointing to circumstances and people who could have been more helpful. Overall, she creates an atmosphere that should allow listeners of all political persuasions to appreciate the person behind a campaign packed with triumphs and heartbreak. Her account of the elaborate operations and complex relationships needed for a presidential run is fascinating.
Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781668148037
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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