New Reviews: Biography & Memoir

"Top Chef" host and alum Kristen Kish beautifully delivers her memoir, displaying her compassion throughout. Adopted and raised in Michigan, Kish never doubted her family's love, even as she struggled with social anxiety. Her deep family bonds and drive to succeed echo throughout her story. A move to Boston marked a turning point; there, she began to embrace her identity, and... Read More

Erin Bennett narrates the story of Rose Valland, a curator at the Jeu de Paume museum in Paris during WWII. Valland kept track of documents stating provenance and locations of artworks that were looted by the Nazis. She remained in her job by convincing Nazi higher-ups that she was merely a lowly clerk and not a threat to the Germans' pillaging. Her dedication and precise... Read More

Laurie Woolever narrates her memoir about her life in the food industry and her addiction struggles. She gives insights into working with two of the biggest names in the industry, Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain, receiving abuse at the hands of one and compassion at the hands of the other. All the while, she admits to her less than stellar personal choices, especially when it... Read More

Claudette Monica Powell wanted to be a nun since she watched the movie A NUN'S STORY at age 7. Now she is Sister Monica Clare, Sister Superior of the Community of Saint John Baptist, an Episcopal order of women in rural New Jersey. A former acting student at New York University, Sister Monica Clare delivers an approachable, folksy account of her long and often painful path to... Read More

In this moving memoir, columnist Dave Barry makes fun of life's absurdities with his trademark warmth, humility, and keen insights about the human condition. It's fitting that he narrates his story; his heartfelt performance syncs perfectly with the details of how he grew up to write professionally and eventually become a Pulitzer Prize winner and one of America's favorite... Read More

This audiobook is a delightful, whimsical, and philosophical romp through the values, ideals, and sensibilities of Maurice Micklewhite--known to most of us as British actor Michael Caine. This memoir (he's done others) is mostly about what makes Caine tick. Eddie Marson offers a yeoman's effort in re-creating Caine's Cockney accent and delivers a believable, understandable, and... Read More

Melissa Arnot Reid is the first American woman to conquer Everest without oxygen. But this success seems less taxing than her long battle to find peace and love within herself. There is a resoluteness in Reid's tone that fits the hard exterior she needed to survive her complicated childhood, the mountains, and the male-dominated guiding milieu. It takes a Tibetan goddess and a... Read More

Award-winning journalist Mirta Ojito recounts her family's escape from Cuba via the Mariel Boatlift in 1980. Ojito narrates the chapters that pertain to her personal history. In contrast, Juan Arturo voices the stories of other refugees and the political and social events that led to the 1980 exodus. Ojito recalls her hesitation to leave the only home she'd ever known, but... Read More

Andrea Currie narrates her memoir with the perfect balance of clarity and courage. Her voice may be gentle, but that doesn't conceal or betray the power of her lived experience. Currie is one of the many thousands of Indigenous children who were taken from their families during Canada's "Sixties Scoop," a government adoption policy that forced such children to be raised in... Read More

In this raw and poetic memoir, Sarah Aziza traces her own history of anorexia, trauma, and hospitalization alongside her family's history of occupation, violence, and displacement from Palestine. The beauty of Aziza's remarkable prose becomes apparent in her narration, which is quiet, vulnerable, and utterly compelling. There is a lot of Arabic scattered throughout; often Aziza... Read More

This deeply personal and powerful memoir, though witty and snarky, has a bittersweet tone and an often self-critical pose. Political journalist and TV commentator Jong-Fast is a hyper-aware writer whose famous mother, Erica Jong, the author of FEAR OF FLYING, was a narcissistic drunk with little time for her daughter. In this meditation on fame, Jong-Fast explores midlife... Read More

Born in Australia, food critic Besha Rodell lived in the US for many years, but her voice still has the lilt and distinctive accent of an Aussie. She narrates at a good pace and with strong emotion. What sets her apart is that she has had to struggle to succeed in the posh world of fine dining criticism. Her backstory includes being raised by hippies--Australian academic dad... Read More

Richard E. Grant showcases the compelling life of legendary restaurateur Keith McNally, who does not shy away from the complicated stories that make up his life and choices. Having started out in the film industry, McNally discovered true theater in building successful restaurants, including New York's Balthazar, where the right environment and staff made the perfect dining... Read More

Angel Pean narrates Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles's memoir with the right emotional tone and clear enunciation while getting across the frustration endured by the young, Black gymnast. Pean's tone captures the challenges faced by Chiles: systemic racism, a dysfunctional and overbearing coach, and the incredible incident of the Bronze medal being stripped from her. Pean's voice... Read More

Part memoir, part biography, part poetry, part science, part history-- this audiobook defies a simple description. Mia Hutchinson-Shaw offers a practical, no-nonsense narration of a wide-ranging work. Her pace is consistent, and her voice is clear and thoughtful as she moves through Christle's text. Transitions among the many narrative turns are fine--if often sharp and... Read More

Canadian disability activist and YouTube sensation Molly Burke delivers an upbeat narration that draws listeners into her memoir. Burke's style is so warmly infectious that listeners will feel like they're chatting with a friend. At age 14, Burke lost most of her eyesight to an aggressive form of retinitis pigmentosa. Yet her drive and determination led her to become an... Read More

Chris Addison provides a BBC-quality narration of this insightful songwriter bro-mance. Addison's relaxed performance is colorful and sincere, ideal for exploring the collaborative relationship of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The audiobook methodically presents these two confederates' musical and personal trajectories, starting with Paul's audition for John's band, the... Read More

Actor Kelsey Grammer, star of the TV show "Frasier," delivers an emotional examination of his own life through the lens of the 1975 abduction, torture, and murder of his 18-year-old sister, Karen. Kelsey was two years older. This is a brutal listening experience, as was the crime and its impact. Grammer's narration is intense, warm, even slightly lighthearted at times. One can... Read More

The author narrates her own work, a memoir about the period when her Missouri-raised children were coming of age. The title is a misnomer; the story really recounts a series of educational and entertaining road trips across the country as they visited state parks, caves, small-town museums, and many other colorful places. Kendzior uses the political landscape of the times we... Read More

The challenge for narrator Susan Ericksen is to construct while deconstructing. Tart, dismissive, at times even derisive, Ericksen captures the spirit of the author's dour reassessment of art history's most hallowed figure. Here is a very different portrayal of Leonardo da Vinci, one that strips away hyperbole and idolatry to focus on what's verifiable about da Vinci's life and... Read More

Daniel and Alexander Macmillan were sons of a Scottish crofter. Together, they founded a small publishing company in London in 1843. By the time Alexander died in 1896, they had published Lewis Carroll, Thomas Hardy, and Rudyard Kipling, among many others. This audio biography of the brothers and their company, narrated by the author, focuses more on the creation and growth of... Read More

Sharmila Devar's evocative, compassionate narration suits this audio biography. Born to a South Asian mother and a Caucasian father in India, Queenie Thompson, later known as actor Merle Oberon, traveled a challenging route to become the first of her ethnicity to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Film critic Mayukh Sen, himself of South Asian descent, tells Oberon's story,... Read More

Twain's twang, as delivered by Jason Culp, runs through this compelling and comprehensive audiobook like a vein of gold. He convincingly portrays the great humorist in all his guises--raconteur, lecturer, parent, public figure, wit, and philosopher--homespun and not. Culp expertly narrates the exposition (and in a 44-hour biography there's plenty) and modulates his voice and... Read More

Author and narrator Tourmaline invites listeners inside her warm and revealing biography of Marsha P. Johnson, an LGBTQIA+ icon, Black trans activist, and irrepressible spirit. In a deliberate, earnest performance, she explores the pivotal 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, one of many key moments in Johnson's eventful life. Tourmaline adds vibrancy to quotations from... Read More

Samantha Desz dials down the vocal drama to provide a pitch-perfect documentary-style narration of this inspiring biography of the 20th-century pop music giant. With her comforting voice adding warmth and her interpretations never faltering, her easy-listening performance allows the author's writing and Krupa's captivating story to remain prominent throughout. The... Read More

This is a serious and, at times, personal discussion of one of America's finest 20th-century writers. Colm Tóibín makes interesting connections between the American Black experience and that of the Irish. In fact, Tóibín winds up making meaningful connections between Baldwin and James Joyce, Henry James, and Oscar Wilde, among others. Gary Furlong's relaxed, pleasant tone and... Read More

Annie B. Jones shines as she narrates her first book, an essay collection about all the ways an ordinary life can feel extraordinary. An independent bookstore owner and host of the popular podcast "From the Front Porch," Jones narrates with confidence, a lively intonation, and expert pacing. The Florida native has a sweet voice with an audible smile that welcomes listeners into... Read More

Author Stephan Kesting narrates the harrowing story of his six-week thousand-mile canoe trip in the Canadian North following a life-saving kidney transplant. His solo trip is fraught with danger, such as bears and other wildlife, as well as the weather and the water itself. This journey is also filled with joy--at the kindness of strangers met along the way, at the wonders of... Read More

First known for her iconic role as John Cusack's love interest in SAY ANYTHING, Ione Skye speaks candidly of her acting career, the Hollywood scene, and her love interests. Her voice has an enthusiastic and captivating tone as she tells listeners about her life's journey, starting with childhood and moving to her years as a high school dropout and how she became the woman she... Read More

Jeffrey Seller, producer of some of the most original, innovative, and memorable Broadway musicals, narrates this no-nonsense, completely engaging memoir. Other voices portraying his parents, friends, and famous collaborators add sincerity and depth to his story. Growing up in a Detroit suburb, Seller always felt like an outsider, partly because he was adopted and partly... Read More

Randall's audiobook recounts the challenges six women bore in order to make an ascent of Denali in Alaska more than 50 years ago. The "Denali Damsels" encountered misogyny at every turn, as well as the extreme elements. Narrator Amanda Dolan guides the story with the right inflections of emotion, which are important since the women had very different personalities. Frustration... Read More

Nashville actor, comedian, and activist Tyler Merritt performs this rollicking account of his treatment for cancer and the life lessons it provoked. Full of spontaneous asides and unscripted conversations with his producer, co-writer, and others, the soundscape is enormously entertaining. Merritt's vocal theatrics are outrageous and often funny but, for most listeners, will not... Read More

Narrator Sanya Simmons gives listeners a straightforward performance of former Secret Service Agent Cheryl Tyler's memoir. The first Black woman to serve on a Presidential Protection Detail (PPD) in the 1990s, Simmons shares the determination, integrity, and passion that propelled her throughout her challenging career. She describes her early life--the indelible impact of "The... Read More

Isuri Wijesundara's smooth delivery and pleasant voice provide an interesting counterpoint for the scandalous lives of Andy Warhol's "superstars." The 10 women portrayed before, during, and after their relationships with Warhol and his legendary Factory are the stuff of tabloids. These women from privileged backgrounds shared a desire to be "bad" and gave themselves willingly... Read More

Narrating his audiobook, author Graydon Carter devotes several chapters to his early years, beginning in Toronto and ending with college in Ottawa. Though his accent is subtle, there's no doubt that those formative years in Canada had a profound impact on him and his career. He credits his parents with teaching him values, his Canadian education with honing his editorial... Read More

Media powerhouse Barry Diller, at 83, offers an articulate, humble, and utterly honest account of his varied life. Dillard's narration is workmanlike, moving the narrative forward in a somewhat monotonous manner. That unvaried tone sharply contrasts with the fascinating story of a young, not very aggressive personality who nonetheless became highly influential in the... Read More

Elizabeth Wiley narrates this extensive biography based on new research on the French artist Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) as if it were a wondrous adventure tale. Gauguin began as a Post-Impressionist and Symbolist but is best known for his unique paintings of Tahitian women and his tumultuous friendship with Van Gogh. Discovering art in his early 30s, he freed himself from his... Read More

In fascinating detail, this audiobook reveals the life of Woodrow Wilson, including his opposition to racial equality and women's right to vote. Narrated by Jonathan Davis, the biography highlights the many traits that made Wilson a leader, while also exposing the contradictions that have made him such an interesting and ultimately controversial figure. Davis is an excellent... Read More

Nancy Kwan, the trailblazing Eurasian actress, dancer, and singer, narrates her life story in an appealing manner. The preface, narrated by her cousin Kevin Kwan sets the tone and provides an overview of the woman who was a 1960s sex symbol in movies and in Broadway productions such as FLOWER DRUM SONG. Kwan tells stories of living internationally and her marriages, the final... Read More

Max Meyers's performance of Yoko Ono's biography works because it's done with a reporter's professionalism--minus the invisible eye rolls. The audiobook offers an insightful examination of the controversial woman John Lennon not only loved, but also respected as an artist. Born to a wealthy but loveless Japanese family, she found her life shattered when Japan was devastated by... Read More

Micaela Blei's narration of her 2006 experience with a Divine Feminine course is expressive, touching, and humorous. Through "Moth"-style storytelling, she shares how the self-help class transformed her confidence and approach to life, especially in finding love. At the time, Blei loved her work as a third-grade teacher, but her lack of a love life kept her from feeling truly... Read More