Shannon Galpin is earnest about her work in Afghanistan with nonprofits aimed at improving the lives of women and girls, but she also finds joyful release when riding her motorcycle or mountain bike across the country. Emily Woo Zeller recounts Galpin's two endeavors in her lovely clear voice, which wears an audible grin when Galpin goes flying down the hill with her hair in a scarf and wearing long pants--girls don't ride bikes here. Zeller's sensitivity is perceptible as Galpin describes being raped in Minneapolis as a teenager and chafing at the injustice of being criticized for leaving her daughter behind to work in a dangerous country when a father would be excused or even heralded. Zeller zips over the Afghani names without hesitation as well as renders the astonishing beauty of the landscape.
Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2014
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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