Narrator Jim Frangione's voice carries an authoritative yet weary weight appropriate for capturing Vonnegut's journey from WWII veteran to renowned author. Roston's audiobook starts with the stunning claim that Vonnegut may have sought to kill his Nazi captors after the war. While Roston dismisses this rumor, his research of Vonnegut's life reveals a naturally skilled writer finding a foothold in the world while struggling with PTSD, a diagnosis that didn't exist at the time. In this way, the writing process that yielded his 1969 novel, SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE, may have served Vonnegut's need to make meaning from his war experience. Frangione's performance embraces Vonnegut's complicated story, guiding listeners with a reverent empathy for the author and his extraordinary experiences.
Pub Date: Feb. 8, 2022
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Inspiring collections of Angelou reading her poetry. These selections showcase Angelou's smooth, lyrical voice and her warm vitality. Her innate rhythm celebrates her verse and offers the poems to listeners as they should be remembered. Occasionally Angelou comments between the selections, and occasionally she interjects a resonant laugh.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ward claims she’s more comfortable as a novel writer, but this confirms her gifts as a storyteller no matter the...
Ward reads her first collection of creative nonfiction essays with the lyricism that her poetic writing deserves. There is power in her ideas, and she expresses them in rich prose. Both are enhanced by her reading. She writes about growing up poor and Black in Mississippi, the deaths of her brother and her husband, Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, the comfort she finds in Baldwin’s work, and her discomfort with Faulkner’s writing. Each essay carries a poignancy that is often breathtaking. Pieces vary in length and purpose, from book introductions to interviews to articles. She merges the personal and the political, balancing grief with the healing power of literature and art.
Ward claims she’s more comfortable as a novel writer, but this confirms her gifts as a storyteller no matter the subject.Pub Date: May 19, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 56 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668111833
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: July 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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