Ebony Flowers, as 12-year-old Ella, and Terri Schnaubelt, as Princeton researcher Katherine St. James, masterfully re-create life in 1980s Mississippi. Listeners meet Ella, who is resented and abused by her family, and St. James, who has come to Ricksville to interview townsfolk about the Civil Rights movement, including the 1960s murders of three voting rights workers. Flowers impeccably conveys Ella's intelligence and awareness of her situation, along with the comforting love and wisdom of blind Mr. Macabe. Schnaubelt presents St. James, daughter of a Klansman, as inconsistent in her beliefs about race. The realistic language in this novel is sometimes disturbing as diverse viewpoints and flashbacks illuminate haunting historical truths. Audio offers explicit lessons of a painful period through the eyes of a child.
Pub Date: Jan. 17, 2023
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063226647
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In this fascinating coming-of-age portrait, Thomas Black Bull's journey from the child, Bear's Brother, to the fearsome rodeo rider, Killer Tom Black, is painted with compassion and insight. Forced to learn the White Man's ways, Tom reaches adulthood consumed by rage. Read with great vigor by Norman Dietz, the recording bursts with the energy of rodeo circuit and transports the listener to the southwest. The accurate portrayal of Tom's Ute ancestry and way of life, the sorrow and frustration of losing his heritage, and his angry retaliation at the world make this an excellent listening choice for adults and teenagers. It would also be a wonderful addition to high school units on the Native American experience.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 10 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
George S. Irving adopts Patrick McManus's characters with gusto. Sit back and listen to yarn after yarn. Irving relishes each story, whether it's fishing stories, such as "Claw of the Sea-Puss" or "To Filet or Not to Filet," or the escapades with McManus's wary but vulnerable neighbors. Irving has the jocular chuckle down pat, and the low comedy satire comes off without a hitch. Listeners can imagine Irving tipping back a chair at the country store swapping lies with cronies and entertaining any comers with these hilarious tales. His repertoire of more than eight collections of McManus stories encourages this kind of ownership!
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: DH Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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