Zara Chowdhary's writing and film background are evident in a cinematic memoir that recounts the disastrous 2002 train fire that killed 57 Hindus, ignited Muslim prejudice, and fueled riots in the state of Gujarat, India. Chowdhary describes her innocence at age 16 and her feelings of confusion, disbelief, and dawning horror as the events unfolded. Her accented English and occasional exchanges in an Indian dialect anchor listeners to her personal experience and provide context for her family's past, as well as India's. Her quiet style establishes intimacy and trust so that when Chowdhary sounds dispassionate while recounting the many instances of the rape, abuse, and murder of Muslims, listeners hear her underlying tones of sadness and grief.
Pub Date: July 16, 2024
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593868966
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A splendid narration of an engrossing story of the search for, and discovery of, a lost treasure.
Vikas Adam’s strong baritone is a good match for this well-told account of one man’s obsession with finding a lost Spanish galleon filled with treasure. In 1708, the San José sank in combat with the British off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia. Roger Dooley, whose own story is quite fascinating, sought the wreck of this ship over nearly four decades and then, in 2015, finally found it at a depth of nearly 2,000 feet. Lawsuits regarding who gets to keep the fortune are still ongoing. Adam narrates with great confidence and with excellent expression throughout. His pacing is perfect, and he ably reads Spanish.
A splendid narration of an engrossing story of the search for, and discovery of, a lost treasure.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217165810
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026
As an audiobook author, historian Matthew Restall is spirited, witty, highly informed, and full of insights and revelations. As a narrator, he's more subdued, even a bit flat. But no matter. Restall's steady, evenhanded narration reenforces the balance and objectivity of his history of the "nine lives of Christopher Columbus." Over five centuries, Columbus has been hailed and reviled, a discoverer and a destroyer, one century symbolized as Columbia and paired with Washington on statuary, the next denounced for perpetuating the Spanish devastation of the New World. Restall's restraint keeps the focus on the historical processes at work, and on his richly layered portrait of Columbus. History is fluid, it seems, and malleable--something this well-researched, well-told history demonstrates.
Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798318519789
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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