Narrator Haaz Sleiman's voice is consistently gentle and sad, yet he also finds the biting humor in this wonderful memoir. Gzar's story is a fascinating journey that takes listeners to the Middle East, Japan, and, ultimately, the Midwest U.S. Facing constant oppression is his native Iraq for his homosexuality, Gzar, intellectual and curious, seeks a life elsewhere, eventually traveling to the West Coast. In Seattle, Gzar looks for Morise, a man he met in Iraq who gave him instructions to find him there once he arrived. Sleiman performs Gzar's memoir with a vulnerability that is electrifying, drawing the listener ever deeper. The result is an emotional experience of triumph, loss, and heartbreak.
Pub Date: April 1, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781713552239
Publisher: Brilliance 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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