Narrator Christopher Grove's cadence captures the rhythms of addiction and recovery and their corresponding impact on relationships with friends and family. Grove is likable and empathetic as he recounts author Ted Jackson's discovery that former NFL athlete Jackie Williams was living under the Pontchartrain bridge in New Orleans. So begins a decades-long friendship that ebbs and flows with Jackie's path to recovery, which includes multiple relapses. Williams was a whip smart kid who switched from basketball to football before college, turned pro and played in two Super Bowls but never quite found a stable team, and then tried crack cocaine following his mother's funeral. An important thread underlying the story is the strong Christian faith the two men share and its influence on their views of addiction.
Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2020
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062935700
Publisher: Harper Audio
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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