This is an altogether charming portrait of a close, if unusual, Hollywood family, written with exceptionally precise language from the point of view of the skilled wordsmith Michael Frank. His narration is personal, unique, and exceedingly warm. The texture of his words and the quality of his performance are so rich that the audiobook seems like fiction, though the work is not a novel. Michael's childless aunt and uncle were the skilled screenwriters who brought us the Paul Newman classic HUD. In the 1960s and '70s, they lived in the fabled West Los Angeles neighborhood of Laurel Canyon, along with such luminaries of the time as the Mamas and the Papas, Jim Morrison, and Joni Mitchell. Both family dynamics and the neighborhood "as a state of mind" are lovingly described and lavishly shared as the larger-than-life personae abound.
Pub Date: May 16, 2017
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781427289155
Publisher: Macmillan 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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