Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, born in 1883, grew up in an obscure French convent, where she learned the skill of fine sewing. Starting her adult life as a Paris cabaret singer admitted her to the bedrooms of rich men, who financed her beginnings in the fashion business. Her signature product became Chanel No. 5, a fragrance still popular 90 years after its introduction. Although the audiobook offers no way to smell the scent, narrator Liz de Nesnera’s native French transports listeners to the origin of the eponymous brand and the country in which Coco blossomed. De Nesnera’s voice gives a delicacy to the story, a proper touch to a woman who began with few options and became one of the richest women of the twentieth century.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2010
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062075215
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Karen Chilton's fluid alto is a good fit for this biography of Thomas Jefferson. The authors are more or less successful in their attempt to present the third president in the context of his times. What we are presented with is a very human being--possessing great intellect, filled with flaws and contradictions, and still immensely fascinating nearly three centuries after his birth. Chilton's pacing and inflection are never off. She narrates with a calm demeanor, competently affecting various accents for quotes and ably giving subtle expression to the narrative. It all adds up to an enjoyable listening experience.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2016
Duration: 14 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501909993
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
It's hard to imagine that the horror of 9/11 took place within a window of a mere 102 minutes, but indeed it was so. Be prepared for harrowing and heroic accounts gleaned from every possible source--phone messages, police and fire department communications, personal accounts, even the media--delineating the details at Ground Zero. Reader Ron McLarty handles the job with strong characterizations and the intensity the material demands. Listeners will find it hard to turn away from the nightmare but will find redemption in some of the stories of self-sacrifice that saved many lives. D.J.B. 2006 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2004
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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