In three interwoven biographies, Sheila Weller chronicles the life and times of three tradition-breaking women singer-songwriters--Carole King, a Brooklyn-born earth mother; Joni Mitchell from the Canadian prairie; and Carly Simon, wealthy New Yorker, radiant, sexy, and riddled by stage fright. Narrator Susan Ericksen has a ball dishing the rock 'n' roll dirt with the girls. Ericksen lends a lovely melodic tone to the stories of these tunesmiths who became the voices of a generation of women. Her reading is controlled and intelligent. Of the women, Weller interviewed only Carly Simon personally, but the book works pretty well, weaving together magazine quotes and interviews with friends and lovers. Ericksen makes the material sound like a novel. No, three novels.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2008
Duration: 23 hrs, 30 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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