New York Times journalist Rick Bragg has written about Haiti, Susan Smith's murder of her children and the Oklahoma City bombing, but perhaps his most riveting story is told in this memoir of his family. Raised dirt-poor in the Alabama hills, Bragg pays tribute to the immense sacrifices his mother made for him and his brothers. Bragg's voice allows little emotion as he recounts the devastating circumstances of his drunkard father's abandonment or the poverty to which most of his family has stayed confined. His language is brutal and clear, richly describing the stark poverty, yet, passing almost too unemotionally over his evocative phrases. He writes with immense power and beautifully conveys the strength of his personal vision.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1997
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Random House 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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