In 1936, the quaint Belgian seaside resort of Ostend became a refuge for many Austrian-Jewish artists and writers, including Stefan Zweig and Joseph Roth, as they quietly tried to stay one step ahead of the rise of Nazism in their homelands. British narrator Dennis Kleinman reads this brooding and atmospheric tale of "the summer before the dark" with the intense immediacy created by its present-tense prose. He's especially good at reflecting these writers' immobilizing disbelief that their urbane literary world would soon collapse. The accomplishments of Jewish culture in the 1920s and '30s have often been lost in the maelstrom and devastation of the Holocaust and WWII. Perhaps this audiobook may inspire a renewed interest in two of most popular authors of the prewar era.
Pub Date: Jan. 26, 2016
Duration: 4 hrs
Publisher: Dreamscape
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
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