Wendell Pierce was in New Orleans visiting his parents as Hurricane Katrina bore down on the city. He stayed to help them recover their lives and to star in the TV show "Treme." Thus, his account of the staging of WAITING FOR GODOT in the Lower Ninth Ward and his work after the flooding becomes a small part of a larger, more personal story. His description of his parents' return to their Pontchartrain Park home, made toxic by Katrina, resonates deeply with his expression of their feelings. There's a hint of stage performance in his reading, a sense that it was meant to be read aloud. It succeeds by putting the Pierces' family bond at the center of the story of a city rebuilding.
Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2015
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780698409347
Publisher: Penguin 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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