This memoir of intertwined generations of fraught mother-daughter relationships is an absolute pleasure to listen to. Nadja Spiegelman's performance is thoughtful and charming regardless of whether she's recounting a part of the story that is dark with cruelty and neglect or a part dazzling with joyful confidence. Spiegelman is the daughter of Françoise Mouly, the art director of THE NEW YORKER, who moved to New York as a teenager to flee her mother, Josée, in Paris. Spiegelman extensively interviews her mother and grandmother, growing closer to both. Their stories frequently contradict each other or historical events, and truth is more of a matter of memory and perception. Spiegelman's lovely voice conveys empathy, self-awareness, and curiosity, and she flawlessly shifts back and forth from French to English.
Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780735205581
Publisher: Penguin 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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