The author was one of the Little Rock Nine, the African-American children who were chosen to integrate Central High School for the 1957-58 school year. The book’s title is not an exaggeration. The students attended school that year, but a more accurate word would be that they survived it. Narrator Lisa Renee Pitts takes an earnest approach to the book, imbuing it with the weightiness that a historical event requires. It’s clear that Pitts has vocal training in her background as some of her pronunciations have a decidedly upper-crust sound. She also enunciates every syllable. Her delivery allows us to follow the story, but it also gives her reading a somewhat choppy feel. Pitts does bring passion to the story and makes us feel the immediacy of Beals’s experience.
Young AdultPub Date: Feb. 4, 2011
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a respectful, serious tone, Lizan Mitchell narrates the personal story of Carlotta Walls LaNier, one of the Little Rock Nine, who challenged the policy of educational segregation in Arkansas during the Civil Rights movement. Carlotta’s story recounts her life from her childhood in Little Rock though the Civil Rights era and all the way to Barack Obama’s 2008 election to the highest office in the land. Mitchell’s forte is expressing the emotional aspects of the story, especially her struggles to move on from the hate and discrimination she faced during her teen years. The one distraction from the excellent narration is the chapter read by Peter Fernandez. Since Mitchell reads the rest of the story on her own, including all the quotes, it’s surprising to suddenly hear Fernandez’s voice. Furthermore, the switch seems unnecessary.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2009
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Julia Winwood's narrative tone is that of a well-done lecture, with emphasis on interesting ideas and intriguing facts. She can bring a hint of suspense to the invention of the ring binder and make listeners smile as they hear a poem on alphabetical order. Judith Flanders's history of ordering systems and the developments that made them necessary is thoughtful but a bit esoteric. Her account of the roots of the written word and libraries focuses on such things as indexes, concordances, and card catalogues. Early on, the origins of the word "abracadabra" in the Roman alphabet can seem magical as delivered in Winwood's voice.
Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549104800
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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