Zora Neale Hurston's previously unreleased work offers a rare glimpse of the experiences of the last surviving person to have been taken from Africa, brought to the United States as a slave, and then freed. Capturing the dialect, accent, and intonation of Cudjo Lewis, then living in Alabama, presents a challenging task for narrator Robin Miles, who must deliver one of the... Read More

Prepare to hunger for genuine Southern fare as author Rick Bragg pays tribute to his delightful mother--and to the food and storied culture of the region itself. In a Southern drawl, Bragg offers up a memoir that's wrapped around recipes and the stories they're rooted in. Describing a long family history of preparing the ultimate slow food requires an unhurried narration and... Read More

Lawrence Wright lives in Austin, Texas, a funky "blue freckle" in a red state. He tours both the physical and political landscapes of Texas, offering both criticism and defense for his home in the wake of a national political shift. Wright doesn't speak with a twang anymore, but he demonstrates it occasionally as he quotes other natives. His soft-spoken narration is engaging,... Read More

Listeners will hear every note of conviction, frustration, fierce honesty, and fearlessness that this inclusive lineup of celebrities, bestselling authors, and activists is ready to share with the next generation of bold leaders and inspiring game-changers. Editor Maureen Johnson's voice is encouraging and inviting as she introduces listeners to these audio versions of... Read More

In her latest collection of essays, author-narrator Sloane Crosley takes a sharp look at the freelance life, traveling for work, making reproductive decisions, and dealing with her New York City neighbors. Her expressive, clear delivery conjures a variety of moods, such as her feeling of awkwardness while awaiting a cameo appearance on a TV series, her struggle with altitude... Read More

What cookbook author and TV personality Lidia Bastianich lacks in professional vocal skills she more than makes up for with her warm, honest delivery. Bastianich highlights a life filled with love, family, and the food of Italy. Just months after she was born in northern Italy, her small village became part of Communist Yugoslavia. Despite political turmoil, Lidia had a secure... Read More

Narrator Will Patton turns this story into an audio blockbuster. Early on, Patton sounds like he's reading a police procedural. He uses a terse, confident voice to portray Detective Ralph Anderson, a no-nonsense meat-and-potatoes type who'd never consider a supernatural explanation for a baffling case. But Ralph's worldview expands as he digs deeper into the brutal murder of... Read More

The prolific songwriter and performer Paul Simon has been a part of the American music scene for more than 50 years, adapting his style as the times have changed. He wrote his first song as a teenager in Queens, where he met his on-again-off-again singing partner, Art Garfunkel, though it took several years before their musical careers truly began. Dennis Boutsikaris narrates... Read More

Rebecca Stone is the mother of two very different sons. One is her biological child, and the other is an adopted child of her African-American nanny. Vanessa Johansson narrates this story of love, family, and modern society in a voice full of feeling. With warmth and wry humor, she personalizes Rebecca's difficulty in embracing motherhood. Johansson draws out the universal... Read More

London-born narrator Steve West effortlessly mixes tones of mystery, uncertain memory, sophistication, and innocence in Ondaatje's latest novel. The story features a 14-year-old boy whose parents suddenly disappear from his life when they take jobs in faraway Singapore after WWII, leaving him and his older sister in the care of some suspect but otherwise caring characters. Soon... Read More