Personal essayist and LOS ANGELES TIMES columnist Meghan Daum writes about herself. Topics include her move to Los Angeles, her mother's death, her dog's death, her marriage, and her career. Daum maintains a careful balance between whiney self-involvement and self-deprecating charm in the face of profound and universal issues. When a personal essayist reads her own work, she adds another layer of self-reflection. Through the audiobook, the listener senses Daum's reactions to her own writing and her own conduct. Not surprisingly, Daum likes most of what she reads. She is only occasionally amused, embarrassed, or appalled. Although not an voice actor, Daum has a good speaking voice. She is a good clear reader with a good sense of timing and pace.
Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2014
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A NEW YORK TIMES journalist documents the heart-wrenching choices she and her brother faced in caring for their mother during her last years. The lengthy but compelling narrative describes the relentless apprehension she felt about her mother’s deteriorating health and the frustrations she had with byzantine federal healthcare regulations and the shortcomings of private facilities. The dominant tone in Kate Reading’s flawless performance is resignation and persistence. While keeping the melodrama out of this very personal documentary, she captures the author’s determined efforts to arrange the best care for her mother in the midst of overworked care providers, dwindling financial resources, and her mother’s outspoken unhappiness. With a plethora of wisdom and good advice, this is an eye-opening look at end-of-life challenges and how current institutions are handling them.
Pub Date: April 26, 2011
Duration: 15 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Rodrigo Garcia narrates his brief but powerful memoir about the passing of his parents. His father was the literary giant Gabriel García Márquez. His mother, Mercedes Barcha, was also a giant--of their family. Garcia narrates the events of the months leading up to their deaths with tactical precision that can come across as emotionless. However, his reservation allows listeners to focus on the words and feelings of his mother, brother, and the plethora of people who paid tribute to his father. Fans of García Márquez will want to listen, of course, but anyone who has lost a family member will also want to hear this audiobook.
Pub Date: July 27, 2021
Duration: 2 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063158344
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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