An engrossing production.
Em Grosland’s bright, engaging narration pairs well with this new biography of the founder of the Society of Universal Friends. Born to a Quaker family in Rhode Island, Jemima Wilkinson (1752-1819) emerged reborn from a near-death illness in 1776 with a “celestial mandate” to evangelize as the Public Universal Friend, an ungendered minister. Their grassroots ministry spread across Rhode Island and western New York, among other regions, and welcomed all people. Grosland performs with keen interest, enlivening nuanced portraits of the Society’s devoted followers as well as the ex-devotees who waged protracted legal battles and leveled salacious accusations.
An engrossing production.Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797195469
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: March 17, 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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