Melissa Coleman, the oldest daughter of the famous organic farming pioneers Sue and Eliot Coleman, has a complex and moving story to tell of growing up on Cape Rosier, in mid-coast Maine, in the 1970s. Her parents, devotees and neighbors of Scott and Helen Nearing, attempted—and for a time achieved—life completely off the grid in a cabin they built themselves, farming without chemicals or power tools, eating only the vegetables, fruit, and dairy their farm produced. As we now know, many millions have come believe they were right about organic farming, but their lessons and life choices came with high personal price tags. Coleman’s writing is vivid and lyrical, her emotional wisdom hard earned. Her mushy diction serves her powerful story poorly, alas.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2011
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062081445
Publisher: Harper Audio
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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