This examination of the civilization of the Native American "mound-builders" of the Mississippi region is a bit uneven: Sometimes it lacks hard information (much of the archaeological evidence was destroyed or remains buried), and sometimes it gives copious detail about what's known and how it was discovered. The combination makes for a production that can be hard to follow. George Wilson's voice is rather astringent but still expressive and likable, and his precision serves the complex material well. Some scenarios of what Cahokian life might have been like, as well as the gruesome descriptions of mass burials, are intriguing, and Wilson does them justice. Neither book nor reader is flashy, but those interested in the topic will find this brief exposition worthwhile.
Pub Date: March 26, 2010
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781449805005
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This is a fine collection from one of our most underrepresented literary traditions.
The poetry in this collection is strong and often evocative, but Skeets’ reading of his work undercuts it. His pacing doesn’t match the lengths of his lines, and his flat tone betrays the sometimes very intense emotional content. Skeets is the Navajo Nation Poet Laureate, and he does sing a few passages in the Navajo language that evoke more feeling. Alongside some love poems, the main subjects of this collection are the culture and terrain of the author's homeland and the changes that have resulted from contact with white settlers. The most extensive alteration, including an extended drought in already dry land, comes from changes in the climate.
This is a fine collection from one of our most underrepresented literary traditions.Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 1 hr, 44 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217422241
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: July 18, 2026
This informative and insightful audiobook history of the Mississippi River and its regions quickly and necessarily focuses on questions of protection and preservation. The Mississippi is the center of American prosperity but is difficult to control and at every point is vulnerable. Narrator Gabriel Vaughan is a steadfast guide through a tangled history of levy building and floodplain management. He is most effective when the narrative frame is the author's own history. The narrative advances southward toward the river's delta and egress, and there environmental issues are overlain with a history of racial injustice and exploitation. During sections of tough listening, what Vaughan sometimes lacks in polish he more than makes up in impact and empathy.
Pub Date: June 11, 2024
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781696615440
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
