Eight narrators personalize the characters in this engaging debut. The varied performances capture the diverse experiences of Korean-Americans over eight long stories. Exploring the challenges within families, generations, and cultures, the collection has something for every listener. Among the standouts is "The Art of Losing," narrated by Sue Jean Kim and Intae Kim. They tenderly present the alternating points of view of an aging couple, one of whom, the husband, struggles with Alzheimer's. Greta Jung is the only narrator to perform twice. She especially shines during the title story, "Skinship," which is narrated by a 13-year-old girl who is fleeing from her abusive father with her brother and mother. Overall, the collection is full of surprises, brought to life by an expert cast.
Pub Date: 2021
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593410615
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Alice Munro has written another extraordinary collection of short stories. Both Kimberly Farr and Arthur Morey lend intuitive pacing to their nuanced performances of these works. The listener becomes steeped in the meaning and beauty of Munro's stories by virtue of the performers' deliberate pacing. They give each one the focus that is essential for the concentrated prose of the short story genre. Further, they convey the sense of profundity that these stories evoke with eloquent and clear deliveries. Some of the stories take place in the author’s home territory of Canada during the period of her childhood. However, the collection's timeless and intimate subjects will resonate with anyone listening to these perilous journeys of life.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780307939371
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In this engaging collection of short stories by Filipino writer and journalist F.H. Batacan (SMALLER AND SMALLER CIRCLES ), Amielynn Abellera and Ramón de Ocampo alternate narrating the riveting mysteries. Abellera is good at voicing the more suspenseful stories with her faster, clipped style of speaking, while de Ocampo tackles the introspective character studies by languidly drawing out his words. Both narrators are Filipino-born actors, and although not all the stories take place in the Philippines, their voicing of accents and colloquialisms adds to the flavor of the gripping, beautifully paced yarns. The mystery of the human heart is a theme in each story, regardless of its length, making this an overall great listening experience.
Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798889567509
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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