Author, narrator, and mother of three sons, Ruth Whippman dives deeply into the complexities of raising boys in an environment in which masculinity has become politicized. With a mix of personal stories and interviews, Whippman, narrating in an English accent, explores how masculine norms deprive boys of connecting with people emotionally and authentically. She examines a boys' school that acknowledges toxic masculinity, a residential program that instills traditional manhood, and an advocacy group for men accused of sexual assault. Whippman doesn't keep her interviewees' voices distinct from her own, sometimes making it difficult for listeners to identify who's who. However, her consistent pacing and frank delivery authentically depict the personal stories of the many men she interviewed.
Pub Date: June 4, 2024
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593664483
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Griffiths narrates her poetic memoir, marked by two traumatic life events, with precision. Griffiths' emotive narration takes measure of the joys and sorrows she experiences in tender moments spent with her best friend, Kamilah Aisha Moon, a talented poet, as they share a deep connection and support each other's work. Despair comes on "the best and worst day" of her life, when Aisha dies on the same day that Griffiths weds author Salman Rushdie. Despite her own marital bliss, Griffiths is consumed by an overwhelming grief, and it has only begun to subside a year later when Rushdie is stabbed, nearly fatally. Again, Griffiths is plunged into depression. This story of love and loss is as strong in emotion as it is in poignant imagery and lyricism.
Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217176441
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Only author Roy Wood Jr. could have imbued this narration with such empathy as he unflinchingly tells his life story, a cautionary tale for his newborn son. The comedian and actor recounts his complicated relationship with his own, mostly absent, father--a civil rights leader and respected radio announcer with another family who never divorced Wood's mother. She forced her estranged husband to take her and Wood Jr. in after a misadventure by young Roy. Wood Sr. dispensed wisdom and advice to hundreds but was judgmental and aloof to the one person who needed him most, his son. Even so, Wood Jr. learned what to do and not to do from his father and the other men who floated in and out of his life.
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217165780
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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