Christine Lakin delivers this audiobook about the politics of Helen Keller, an early-twentieth-century deafblind disability rights activist. The story of how she learned to communicate at the age of 7, dramatized in the 1959 play THE MIRACLE WORKER, captured the hearts of Americans, and she became an iconic figure. But many people didn't know she was a member of the Socialist Party. In particular, she campaigned against lynchings and child labor and for women's suffrage. Lakin echoes the author's doubt about claims that Keller eventually moderated her leftist views, claims intended to appease her public. When not detailing Keller's political activities, Lakin gives a bittersweet quality to a brief romance and warmly recounts her vaudeville tour with her childhood teacher, Annie Sullivan.
Pub Date: April 11, 2023
Duration: 12 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668620915
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Manchester’s incisive writing and Parker’s friendly narration make this a compelling package on the life of 20th century icon General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964). No student of modern times can ignore this vain, mercurial soldier whose battlefield brilliance conserved the lives of his soldiers even as they cut their opponents to ribbons. Listening to Parker, one imagines a jovial uncle delivering a slap on the back and sitting down to describe war experiences in a rich voice filled with humor and pathos. He pronounces Japanese names, New Guinea cities and American slang with effortless ease. The “you-are-there” quality grabs and holds. This is a carefully done, seamless audio presentation.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Baker tells the story dispassionately; on occasion, listeners might wish for more drama.
Narrator Gabrielle Baker provides a skilled rendition of this absorbing biography of Sydney Redesdale, mother of the six Mitford sisters. With just the right plummy accent, Baker guides us through Sydney’s own youth and marriage to David Mitford (Lord Redesdale) and her subsequent trials raising six daughters and a son. While some of her children accused her of being cold, as they grew older, Sydney’s devotion and support increased to the point that sheeventually became a necessary pillar for several of them. Unity, who famously became enamored of Hitler and, in 1939, tried to kill herself when England declared war on Germany, was cared for by her mother for years afterward. Sydney was also supportive of daughter Diana when she was imprisoned as a national security risk because of her fascist politics, which mirrored Sydney’s own views and caused a permanent rift with her husband.
Baker tells the story dispassionately; on occasion, listeners might wish for more drama.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 40 mins
DD ISBN: 9798318542589
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2026
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