New Reviews: Biography & Memoir

As someone who has made a living with his voice, singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock is the best person to narrate this brief memoir of the year he turned 14. That was the year, 1967, when the world first heard the Beatles' SGT. PEPPER album. With his London accent sounding both educated and edgy, Hitchcock gives an enthusiastic performance of this memoir, complete with raucous... Read More

Asa Siegel narrates this memoir of discovering both the personal and international impact of the accordion. Growing up, Noe Alvarez knew little about his grandfather except that he played the accordion and was the family pariah. As an adult, Noe explored the impact of accordion music on various cultures and then journeyed to Mexico, where the story of his grandfather revealed... Read More

Hannah Choi captures the thrill of learning to fly as she opens Ankeny's account of Hazel Ying Lee's experiences with flight training during WWII. The story of Lee, the first Asian American woman to earn a pilot's license, is fascinating as it contrasts her former efforts at invisibility as an elevator operator with the freedom she found in flight. As the story expands to... Read More

A native speaker of Japanese is essential for this audiobook, which takes the listener inside the world of Nippon Professional Baseball. Tokyo-born Brian Nishii is an ideal choice, not only for his handling of the Japanese names, but also for his seeming familiarity with baseball terminology. The gaijin (foreigner) in the title is Tony Barnette, an American Minor League pitcher... Read More

Ina Garten narrates with the same precision, charm, poise, and irreverence exhibited on her "Barefoot Contessa" television productions. That same independent woman people know from her food preparation shows on Food Network spins quite the tale. Her philosophy has been to make quick decisions and "dive in"--figuring it all out later. Raised by exceptionally strict parents, she... Read More

Dan Aykroyd, part of the famous Blues Brothers musical duo that evolved from a series of sketches on "Saturday Night Live," narrates this great look at the phenomenon he helped to create with the late John Belushi. Aykroyd narrates in a theatrical voice, describing how the band was formed and the movie that followed was made. He brings in a cast of folks--band members, movie... Read More

Narrator Saskia Maarleveld maintains a deliberate pace in this packed history of America's newborn spy network during WWII. The unexpected heroes are librarians, professors, and other bookish types who were experts in gathering--and fabricating--information. And what a story Maarleveld tells. Even familiar episodes like the planning of D-Day take on new fire and urgency in this... Read More

Julia Turshen's performance sparkles in this brief audiobook about her introduction to powerlifting and her discovery that exercise helped her overcome self-consciousness about her body and take delight in her newfound strength. Turshen is well known for her love of cooking and creating recipes. At one of the weakest times in her life she learned her true strength. From her... Read More

Zoë Bossiere gives a quiet, thoughtful performance of their memoir about their trans boyhood in an Arizona trailer park. Their stories of boyhood in the desert are full of contradictions: the ease of being known and understood as a boy by their friends and neighbors, and the alienation caused by teachers who tried to force them into a gender that didn't fit. Their narration is... Read More

Sarah Gerard narrates her audiobook about the murder of her friend, Carolyn Bush. Gerard neutrally recounts the viewpoints of the people closest to Carolyn, who was nicknamed Carrie and Coco. She captures the emotions that arise in the quotations of interviewees, which create vivid pictures of Carolyn's vibrant personality and the writing-reading community she helped establish.... Read More

Cory Richards is well known for his photographs published in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, including photos on Everest and a famous self-portrait immediately after surviving an avalanche. Narrating his brutally honest memoir, he lays bare his mental health struggles with bipolar disorder, addiction, and a drive to sabotage all of his relationships. Richards's voice is smooth and... Read More

The early part of Connie Chung's narration is a bit uneven--perhaps because of the personal nature of discussing her Chinese heritage and her parents' high expectations for her achievement in life. Once she settles in, her performance of this evocative, informative, and insightful memoir is flawless. Heavy with acerbic wit and "teases" for upcoming chapters, it frequently... Read More

Hyeseung Song narrates her memoir with a rhythm that balances her poetry with the hardships she experienced as the daughter of Korean immigrants. Early on, she expresses her discomfort with the dichotomy between her father's get-rich-quick schemes and her mother's endless work to support his whims. In painful vignettes, Song details the narrow views of Texas teachers, peers,... Read More

Gabra Zackman gives a stellar performance of Jane Rosenberg's memoir of her forty-year career as a courtroom sketch artist. Each chapter details a court proceeding wherein Rosenberg was commissioned to produce sketches of the principals, many of whom were well-known politicians, mob bosses, sports figures, and celebrities such as Donald Trump, John Gotti, Tom Brady, and Martha... Read More

Author and narrator Moon Unit Zappa recounts her nontraditional upbringing in the same simple, honest manner she had as a child. Zappa emphasizes certain words as she describes how her younger self craved attention from her parents, especially her father, Frank Zappa, the renowned innovative musician. She shares high school memories and her family's reputation for liking to... Read More

Bergstein's work is less a biography and more an examination of Judy Blume's place in the evolution and expansion of children's and young adult literature. Beginning in the late 1960s, she introduced a new kind of realistic fiction to the fantasies and didactic stories already on the shelves. Mia Barron employs an almost professorial delivery as she weaves biographical snippets... Read More

Narrator Mike Chamberlain makes this true-crime story seem like a novel. Master criminal Arthur Barry came from a working-class family in 1920s Massachusetts. He recognized early that to be upwardly mobile, he needed to change his accent and behavior. Barry deftly used disguises, charm, and violence when necessary to move into upper-class circles, even hobnobbing with (and... Read More

Narrator Rosemary Benson's steady voice gives an anchoring stability to a memoir that dips in and out of the author's remembered experiences of death. The strength and depth of Benson's tone build a credible picture of an 85-year-old intelligent, tenacious woman whose attempt to water a failing dogwood in her yard results in a bad fall, a broken neck, and a long recovery. The... Read More

Animal lovers are in for a moving listening experience as author and narrator Elaine Castillo takes them through her life-changing journey as a companion to Xena, her beloved German Shepherd rescue dog, and others she has fostered. Castillo's passion for responsible and thoughtful companionship leads into an examination of the indelible bond humans have formed with dogs over... Read More

Narrator Leighton Pugh's calm British demeanor provides an effective vehicle for this scathing critique of the Nazi character. In these two dozen brief biographies of Hitler and his circle, Pugh strips bare the venality and pretentiousness that characterized so many of the dictator's underlings: Goebbels and Goering, Himmler and Hess and Heydrich, and don't forget Albert Speer... Read More

Jully Lee reads the Korean author's second memoir in which she explores her disturbed psyche. Lee presents the moods of a sometimes-despairing young businesswoman who questions her choices, actions, and past and present feelings--both alone and with the help of a thoughtful psychiatrist. Lee reveals the strong relationship between Sehee and her psychiatrist as she examines... Read More

In her writing and narration, Glynnis MacNicol captures the vivacious spirit of her visit to Paris 2021. As she describes fleeing the pandemic isolation of New York City, she expresses her feelings of deprivation and her readiness for her annual month in France. She is bent on satisfying hedonistic desires and achieving renewed freedom. Once there, she emphasizes sensory... Read More

Narrator Kate Udall chronicles the life of the greatest grifter of the Gilded Age, a woman who was known as Cassie Chadwick. Through her cunning, business acumen, and total lack of scruples, Cassie lived a life of luxury. She was able to take advantage of the vanity, cupidity, and credulity of the bankers, lawyers, and businessmen of her day. Udall narrates this biography... Read More

Nobody else could narrate this memoir like its author, actor and transgender activist Nicole Maines. Raw and candid, she lets the listener hear her anger and joy, frustration and hope. Her authenticity when describing messy moments in her life is all the more compelling in her own voice. Her story may be familiar from the book BECOMING NICOLE, which is about her and her... Read More

John Lewis has been described as a quiet revolutionary and the conscience of Congress. This sums up the two halves of this biography, which covers his early years as a frontline civil rights campaigner and his later years as a driving force on Capitol Hill. Narrator David Sadzin offers a solid and engaging narration. He carries listeners along through detailed descriptions of... Read More

Olympic swimming star Katie Ledecky narrates her own work, recounting her time in pools ranging from the East Coast (she grew up in Bethesda, Maryland) to the West (she attended Stanford) and across the globe (she has competed in four Olympics). Her story blends anecdotes about competition and training with personal moments, many of which feature her family. Ledecky is not a... Read More

Two new audiobooks--THE STALIN AFFAIR and now this full biography--present a fresh, sympathetic view of one of the last century's most intriguing and maligned figures, Pamela Digby Churchill Hayward Harriman. She was the daughter-in-law of Winston Churchill, the widow of the astronomically wealthy Averill Harriman, the lover of a legion of powerful men, the patron to a... Read More

With his recognizable gravelly voice, the Hootie and the Blowfish singer delivers his heartfelt memoir with genuine gusto. He narrates clearly and naturally, always sounding engaged with the considerable pathos of his personal life and career in music: his substance abuse, early career playing at frat parties and dive bars, and eventual status as a solo country music star. What... Read More

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson narrates her audiobook with the precision and thoughtfulness that characterize her legal decisions. She straightforwardly describes the struggles of her progenitors during segregation. Her delivery grows more personable as she depicts her childhood love of learning, as well as memories of high school debating, Harvard friendships,... Read More

Listeners should not expect risqué revelations about White House liaisons. The titular loves of Theodore Roosevelt are his mother, two wives, and two sisters. These five women were instrumental in creating the man who would become one of our most popular presidents. Author and narrator Edward F. O'Keefe tells listeners about these exceptional women who were reliable advisors,... Read More

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... Read More

Author and narrator CeCé Telfer shares her compelling and timely story in this candid memoir. Born in Jamaica, CeCé knew she was female from a very early age but faced cultural and family pressure to hide her authentic self. CeCé's delivery is passionate and raw; she doesn't shy away from heartbreaking details. However, her narration is disjointed in parts. As she travels from... Read More

Anna Marie Tendler narrates her memoir of a short stay at a psychiatric hospital at the beginning of COVID as she attempts to deal with self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and an eating disorder. Along with a brutally realistic take on her stay, she includes scenes of her relationship with her mother, as well as older men with whom she was sexually involved as a minor. There's also a... Read More

Erin Bennett speaks earnestly about the life of comedian Elaine May, warning listeners that separating fact from fiction is difficult. But Bennett's ease with the microphone makes it a joy. Blessed with brains and beauty, May was easily bored. She told outrageous lies about almost every aspect of her life. Bennett delicately tells the story of her groundbreaking comedy with... Read More

Adam Nimoy recounts his struggles with his famous father, Leonard, and with his own addictions in this compelling story of family and recovery. Leonard is best known for his portrayal of the unflinchingly logical but lovable Spock from the Star Trek franchise. In life, his son experienced a different person: a distant workaholic with demons to spare. Throughout the audiobook,... Read More

Quyen Ngo immerses listeners in this dual memoir whose chapters alternate between a father and daughter. Nghia M. Vo delves into the period when he fled Vietnam by boat to take refuge in the U.S. after the fall of Saigon in 1975. Decades later, his adult daughter, Christina, who was raised in the U.S. and longs to learn about their family's homeland, travels to Vietnam. Ngo... Read More

Lee's well-researched portrait of Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon is a delightful and informative experience brought to life by narrator Jane Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer's slightly hoarse timbre and intimate tone suit the intelligent, reserved, and poised former First Lady of the United States. President Richard Nixon certainly gets his due in this audiobook, and, happily, the... Read More

Christopher P. Brown performs this intimate memoir of a son's fraught relationship with his mother after she discovers he's gay. During the first year of the Covid pandemic, Corcoran's mother dies, leaving him and his two sisters to handle her affairs. From there, Corcoran takes listeners back through their complex relationship, sharing how his mother's homophobia has followed... Read More

This audio biography doesn't shimmer as brightly as its subject, the wildly talented and stereotype-defying Chinese American actor Anna May Wong. The author narrates the preface slowly in a wooden tone. Caroline McLaughlin narrates the rest in a scratchy voice that evokes the tinny, high-pitched quality of audio recordings made during Wong's career apex in the early twentieth... Read More

Momo Hoshi beautifully delivers this thoughtful memoir, which explores the history of humans and wheat, along with the allure and challenges of sustainable farming. Hoshi's gentle, sometimes wistful, narration of food and family casts a delightful spell. The author explores her Indian heritage, along with a type of heirloom wheat that can be traced back to the Punjab. Whether... Read More

Author and narrator Herbie Pilato stitches together the facts surrounding the attractive, highly talented English-born actress Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg. She is most famous for her role as Emma Peel in the iconic 1960s television series "The Avengers." Pilato's narration is understandable, workmanlike, and without much flair or intonation. Direct quotes from other sources... Read More

Kerry Hutchinson narrates this heartrending account of Pen Farthing's escape from Afghanistan and his refusal to leave the animals and staff of his charity's rescue program behind. Operation Ark documents the events that took place when the Taliban invaded Kabul in 2021. More interested in eye-catching headlines than accuracy and substance, the media vilified Farthing for... Read More

An ardent fan of the musical play offers a richly detailed portrait of the complicated lyricist who wrote OKLAHOMA, SHOWBOAT, and other timeless Broadway hits, Oscar Hammerstein. In the rapidly changing social climate he worked in (pre- and post-WWII), he was flawed as a man but created uplifting, socially progressive storylines that made audiences envision a more just and... Read More

This audiobook reveals often untold stories of early trans athletes and their battles for equality during a time of severe prejudice. Narrator Jennifer Pickens brings the stories in this superbly researched audiobook to life. Pickens expertly conveys the emotions of figures like Zdenek Koubek, a European sprinter who ultimately lived as a man, and Mark Weston, a British field... Read More

With her literary skills on full display in this absorbing memoir, a senior editor for a media company combines an elegy for two departed friends with absorbing philosophical perspectives on how language is formed and passed on to others. She narrates her lyrical writing in hushed tones, sounding as though she's sharing intimate feelings and creating an atmosphere that is... Read More

Soft-voiced narrator Danielle Lee James becomes the author as she recounts her research into the life, accomplishments, and trials of Mary MacLeod Bethune, who was often called the "First Lady of the Struggle" or "First Lady of Black America." Author Noliwe Rooks's brief academic work focuses on Bethune's political philosophy as it is intertwined with the life and legacy of... Read More

Zarifa Adiba's joy and hopefulness shine through her story and in every word she speaks from her memoir. Zarifa has big dreams to play the viola, conduct an orchestra, go to Harvard, meet Michelle Obama. She also faces major obstacles as she grows up in a country that doesn't value girls and opposes any musical expression. Zarifa earns money for her family by teaching English... Read More

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Darrin Bell narrates this audio adaptation of his graphic memoir with assists from his son (portraying himself) and two professional actors. Between them, Brittany Bradford and William DeMerrit realize dozens of fully individuated characters: Bell's younger self, along with his parents (an interracial couple), childhood friends, teachers,... Read More

Amanda Jones, a middle school librarian in small-town Louisiana, became the target of an online harassment campaign after speaking up at a library meeting against censorship. In her own voice, Jones describes the effects of this harassment on her and her family. With a slight Southern accent and an insistent tone, Jones describes her mortification and outrage at being falsely... Read More

Lucy Antek Johnson is the daughter of a violinist who played for 17 years under the famous Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini when he led the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Before his sudden death, Samuel Antek wrote all but the final chapter of this intimate portrait of Toscanini, which offers insights about why the legendary conductor was so revered. In this illuminating audiobook,... Read More

In this highly personal biography, a music journalist and student of the music scene from the 1960s to the present describes the life of the iconic singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. Powers rejects the usual boundaries between writer and biographical subject, making her own life as a Mitchell fan an essential part of the story. Narrator Hillary Huber approaches this stirring... Read More

Laura Jennings offers listeners a nonfiction audiobook with the feel of a fascinating novel. We meet author Carolyn Wells (1862-1942), who wrote 180 books, mostly mysteries, along with children's books, parodies, limericks, and early movies for Thomas Edison. Despite being considered a major author of her time, Wells is virtually unknown today. Jennings deftly presents... Read More

Listening to film director Chu (CRAZY RICH ASIANS, WICKED) narrate his lively memoir of people and events that influenced his life choices and film work, one gains insights on who he is and the way technology has changed Hollywood moviemaking. Chu emits charisma as he discusses his youth in 1980s Silicon Valley, when, as the son of a successful immigrant restaurateur, he was... Read More

Author Jessica Goudeau narrates in a clear, calm voice that listeners will grow to appreciate as she investigates and shrewdly analyzes the often brutal history of the state of Texas. Using fascinating details of her own family history, Goudeau begins in Colonial times. Her thoughtful and sometimes sympathetic research will deepen the understanding of anyone interested in... Read More

Soon Stanley Tucci may be as famous as a food writer as he is as an actor. A nuanced narrator who plays with tone and tempo like a jazz musician, he knows how to be ironic, self-effacing, witty, and charming, yet his performance is most satisfying because of his restraint. Often he describes a dish as simply "delicious" rather than extolling its virtues. Happily, this candid... Read More

Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, who has achieved fame for his restaurants, television shows, and five James Beard Awards, turns his considerable energy to his memoir. Happily, he turned the narration over to Will Damron, who knows how to tell a story and is especially good at capturing the rhythms of the kitchen and the ways of the chef. Damron brings this food-centered story... Read More

Jeanette Illidge portrays the husband and wife featured in this dual biography equally well. She makes smooth transitions between the Scottish accent of Robert Louis Stevenson and the American accent of his stabilizing wife and muse, Fanny Van de Grift. The rapid shifts in accents become even more remarkable after the two meet in 1876. Accents can change within one sentence,... Read More

Author Simone Gorrindo narrates her deeply personal memoir about life as a U.S. Army wife. Gorrindo's life is upended when her new husband joins the Army with the plan to become part of an elite unit. Having moved from New York City to small-town Georgia, she is left alone following his deployment and finds herself branching out to become friends with the incredible women who... Read More

There's plenty of meat in these 20+ hours chronicling the life and career of THE NEW YORKER'S defining editor, Katharine White. But much could have been condensed. The author has thoroughly researched White and the magazine, and Christa Lewis's forceful narration keeps to a good pace, even through the sluggish opening hours. The narrative comes together in the 1930s when the... Read More

In these heartfelt, wry, and often funny essays, filmmaker Desiree Akhavan writes about love and art, family and shame, breakups, queerness, sex, never feeling good enough, and learning how to trust herself and her own voice. Her narration is bold and engaging; she's a natural storyteller, and it shows in the flow of her words. She peppers her essays with jokes, but her... Read More