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MOTHERLAND

A MEMOIR

Ana Osorio's youthful voice seems an appropriate vehicle for recounting the story of a young Venezuelan reporter who experiences the personal and political upheaval that is taking place under the government of Hugo Chavez. Poignant moments occur throughout the audio; for example, Ramón imagines that a coup might rescue her from having to finish homework. Osorio's voice takes on a tone of concern as the Venezuelan economy begins to collapse and Maracaibo, Ramón's home, once the center of the booming oil industry, falters. For a time, Ramón escapes this fate by leaving the country, but Osorio's narration expresses Ramón's increasing anxiety as she watches her mother slipping further into poor health amid the total disintegration of their homeland.

Pub Date: Oct. 31, 2023

Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins

DD ISBN: 9798400144912

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026

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    UP ON COVE MOUNTAIN

    ADVENTURE, TRAGEDY, AND A QUEST FOR MEANING ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

    Listeners will appreciate Swift’s talent and perseverance.

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    In this compelling audiobook, journalist Swift relates the pleasures and pains of completing a 14-state trek of the 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail, and describes the people he meets along the way. His original excursion coincided with the 1990 murder of two hikers whom he’d met on the trail. More than three decades later, Swift recreates his hike, seeking answers about the murders and noting the ways that global warming is threatening the A.T. Swift’s voice has some gravel in it, befitting a man in his mid-60s. He relates his experiences in well-wrought descriptions: a near miss from a falling tree; an encounter with a rattlesnake; injuries to his back, hand, and ankle; and the often daunting terrain.

    Listeners will appreciate Swift’s talent and perseverance.

    Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2026

    Duration: 11 hrs, 49 mins

    DD ISBN: 9780063265462

    Publisher: Harper Audio

    Review Posted Online: Sept. 22, 2026

    Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2026

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      THE ANTHONY BOURDAIN READER

      NEW, CLASSIC, AND REDISCOVERED WRITING

      This wide-ranging collection of Bourdain's work is a mixed success.

      Legendary chef and world traveler Bourdain was an aspiring creative long before his rise to fame. This collection spans his works from as early as high school to his later writings, with which listeners will be more familiar. Editor Kimberly Witherspoon sets the tone with her introduction. Dion Graham, David Colacci, Kaleo Griffith, and Chris Patton round out the cast, along with archival recordings of Bourdain himself. Reading his own work, Bourdain is indubitably the standout, bringing to life his trademark approach to food and travel. The rest of the collection is uneven both in content and in narration; some early pieces, both fiction and nonfiction, are unpolished in their writing and overemoted in their narration.

      This wide-ranging collection of Bourdain's work is a mixed success.

      Pub Date: June 30, 2026

      Duration: 13 hrs, 26 mins

      DD ISBN: 9780062863980

      Publisher: Harper Audio

      Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2026

      Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026

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