England’s straitlaced Victorian era rejected women’s rights on so many levels. Here, Effie Gray’s struggles with society, divorce, and independence are documented in a splendid performance by Sophie Ward. With a cultured British lilt Ward details Effie’s unhappy first marriage, never consummated, to art critic and patron John Ruskin as well as her second, gloriously happy but controversial union with artist John Millais. Although Cooper had to piece together some of Effie’s biography, those interpretations provide the cohesiveness necessary for her depiction of this prejudiced, stuffy era and the hardships faced by women. Against this backdrop Effie’s strength, intelligence, and determination are all the more noteworthy. Cooper and Ward boldly introduce listeners to a bold pioneer who paved the way for all women.
Pub Date: 2012
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN:
Publisher: AudioGo
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:
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:
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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