Rita Lurie's family was hidden by fellow Poles during WWII; this account describes the family's lives before, during, and after the war, as well as the effects of multigenerational PTSD. Narrator Beata Pozniak's authentic accent works well for the Polish characters. As she acts out the parts during the war, she captures tense discussions, arguments, and even pleading by Lurie's parents and the gruff Polish families who helped them. The balance of the story is delivered by daughter Leslie Gilbert-Lurie. She describes her mother's life in the U.S. and delivers a lengthy discussion of PTSD as experienced by Holocaust survivors and transmitted to their children. While Gilbert-Lurie's loud, harsh American tones interrupt the emotional flow of the memoir, the discussion of PTSD is an important one.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2021
Duration: 12 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Alcove Publishing
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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