Susan Lyons's remarkable performance of Shirley Hazzard's stories is a gift to all who love the author's wry wit and rapier adjectives, and all who have yet to discover them. The child of diplomats, Hazzard traveled throughout her life, honing her observational skills with every move. Set in the 1950s through 2000, the resulting stories are timeless examinations of the human heart. Lyons's narrative voice, with its clarity, humor, precision, and warmth, perfectly conveys Hazzard's approach to her characters--a mix of kindness and fierce honesty. Her adept pacing gives listeners room to laugh or grimace, while her conversational depictions bring the characters close so you may hug or shake them as needed. This is a listening experience to be savored more than once.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2021
Duration: 15 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In this fascinating coming-of-age portrait, Thomas Black Bull's journey from the child, Bear's Brother, to the fearsome rodeo rider, Killer Tom Black, is painted with compassion and insight. Forced to learn the White Man's ways, Tom reaches adulthood consumed by rage. Read with great vigor by Norman Dietz, the recording bursts with the energy of rodeo circuit and transports the listener to the southwest. The accurate portrayal of Tom's Ute ancestry and way of life, the sorrow and frustration of losing his heritage, and his angry retaliation at the world make this an excellent listening choice for adults and teenagers. It would also be a wonderful addition to high school units on the Native American experience.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 10 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
George S. Irving adopts Patrick McManus's characters with gusto. Sit back and listen to yarn after yarn. Irving relishes each story, whether it's fishing stories, such as "Claw of the Sea-Puss" or "To Filet or Not to Filet," or the escapades with McManus's wary but vulnerable neighbors. Irving has the jocular chuckle down pat, and the low comedy satire comes off without a hitch. Listeners can imagine Irving tipping back a chair at the country store swapping lies with cronies and entertaining any comers with these hilarious tales. His repertoire of more than eight collections of McManus stories encourages this kind of ownership!
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: DH Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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