Mary Burnight

Holly’s God given strength and positivity

Revisado: 06-08-24

A wonderful testament to the miracle of healing from immense trauma, this true story is full of inspiration and hope: A+

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SO INTERESTING, SO UPSETTING, SO BELIEVABLE!

Revisado: 03-15-24

This fascinating book is not a denouncement of all British boarding schools but just cruel ones like the particular one Charles Spencer attended from age 8 to 13. It is bad enough when some children bully others BUT to have a staff of teachers — most of whom enjoy bullying — is beyond the pale. BRAVO to the author for exposing the truth of what parents need to learn about a prospective institution for boarding their precious child: because a welcoming garden party does not show what the staff is actually like at all! This book rings so true and all bullies need to be exposed or else the damaging abuses will continue ad infinitum.

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esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Amazing Perseverence

Revisado: 02-27-24

This book is very interesting because although the listener might imagine what generally happens in this story, in fact Elissa Wall recalls well the painful events imprinted on her soul in so many ways and it’s the specific details which make this recounting of her long-term abuse so compelling to hear. There is also a very tender love story which weaves its way into this true story and the unfolding of that sweet drama comforts not only Elissa but those who read about it. Eventually, Elissa must take her bullies to court and her perseverance and caring for rights-of-others enables her to stay strong instead of “Staying Sweet” as was the mantra for all females in that polygamous choice of religion. Well done, Elissa, I am so proud of you!

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Wonderful Writing, Gripping Storyline…

Revisado: 02-21-24

Anne Frasier is a superb author with excellent character development and exciting storyline unfolding (along with good twists also). To my thinking, Erin Bennett is a first class performance artist, maybe the finest I have encountered in Audible: they are a great combo for delivering this book entitled “Tell Me”. It happens to be Book Two in the Island Empire series but it is definitely a complete standalone book by itself. I did happen to hear the first mystery “Find Me” and I highly recommend both of them … I would love to hear more about the fascinating detective team of Daniel Ellis and Reni Fisher in Book 3 someday.

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An Amusing and Absorbing Story, Well Delivered!

Revisado: 09-27-23

I prefer true stories to novels and seldom enjoy a romantic comedy book but I was looking for a change in choice recently and this selection was a very pleasant surprise to me: in fact it is the best lighthearted fiction I have encountered in audible during my years of membership here! The depth of character development is wonderful and so easy to imagine the unfolding drama as believable. I even went to YouTube to see if there were videos of Avalon, NJ since that idyllic seaside retreat is well described in the heroine’s summer vacation there. College student Marilyn was sent by parents to her delightfully extravagant Aunt Ada’s care because she had become too much of a rebel in her 1960s NYC home and confining lifestyle of that era. This story has exciting dialogue, witty humour, travel adventure, romantic situations, plot twists, even a subtle mystery. I think the author (Sara Goodman Confino) is a talented writer and I recommend this audible book highly — most likely, you will enjoy it a lot since I sure did!

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A LIFELIKE DRAMATIZATION

Revisado: 09-15-23

I have always wanted to read Moby Dick but when it seemed I had spare time to do this, some other books I had set aside grabbed my attention more easily. Then tonight, I went to audible to see if an abridged version of this classic tale is/was available: In fact there were many to select from and I chose this two hour version which included some music and sound effects along with narration by the storyteller “Ishmael”. Additionally, there were enactments of bars scenes with the sailors, conversations with the obsessed Captain Ahab (full of vengeance to destroy the great white whale named Moby Dick who had once swallowed the captain’s leg in a previous whaling event!) All battles fought at sea are dramatized extremely well in this audiobook and now I know why Herman Melville is a renowned talented author. If you (also) have been wishing to read — or listen to — Moby Dick, I recommend this excellent rendition… right through to its dramatic ending.

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Realistic Child-Rearing Info for First-Time Parent

Revisado: 01-22-23

In this true story, Lara was very young when her mother substance-overdosed and died, then she was swallowed up into Child Care and Social Services. The shock of total lifestyle change kept her insecure and when she became a mother in her teens, this increased her lack of confidence. Once visible injuries appeared on her baby, adults were unsure if Arthur was battered or very accident prone … Lara pointed out that her abusive boyfriend Diesel might have been overly rough with him but authorities questioned whether the baby received reasonable care: thus Lara and Arthur were assigned to Carer Cathy Glass for supervision and instruction. The story unravels as Lara learns how to continually mother her child with safety in mind at all times: after all, halfhearted attention to a busy youngster can become dangerous in an instant. (In fact, there are good tips for any first-time parent herein.) Once Lara leaves Diesel and has a new boyfriend, Fraser, it turns out he grew up in the foster system also but a problem once arose with his upbringing too. The focus of this storyline is this — will Social Services find it too risky to let Lara move out on her own with the active toddler OR will she be able to finally cope on her own responsibly (with some support available)?
It’s an interesting book with animated narration.

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MASTERPIECE of Poetic Prose, Outstanding Narration

Revisado: 01-12-23

Without a doubt, this true account ties with my favourite book on audible.com and I’ve been a member here for years. It’s about the BIG journey of a little boy (9 years old) from El Salvador to rejoin his parents who had relocated to California when he was too young to travel. Once the trip’s timing seems possible, he sets off on a journey with a handful of strangers — all of whom are accompanied by a hired Latino leader (“coyote”) to secretly and safely deliver them into the USA. This tale is all about the epic multi-weeks travel through 3 countries and the narrative is so absorbing that the listener becomes drawn into the unfolding drama as if moving along with the group. The lilting prose winds into a flowing rhythm on water and on land, sand, dirt and brush moving us all through ups and downs of Fortune complete with occasional respites … but then swells up once again into continuing melodic waves of hunger, thirst, danger, fear, betrayal, exhaustion and unexpected crises yet sometimes infused with hope, kindness, love. It’s the footsteps of one courageous child but the pulse-beat of many yearning to break free and live free.

PS. I once swore I could never love another book as much as “The Speckled Beauty” but I was mistaken — this magnificent memoir proves me wrong. (After all, how could a brilliant book about an outrageously disobedient dog compare to a life-and-death survival story? Both are nonfiction but so different in topic and in excellent writing styles). My final statement on SOLITO (Spanish for “ALONE): Do NOT miss this wonderful and unforgettable book which I rate A+++.

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esto le resultó útil a 12 personas

Finest Book on Audible, Bar None (imho)

Revisado: 08-12-22

WOW!! Just wow. To know this charming book is to instantly update your definition of what constitutes brilliant writing.…even beyond Shakespeare maybe, I kid you not. No wonder Rick Bragg once won a Pulitzer prize — most likely awarded for his excellence as a New York Times journalist but to my thinking, such a magnificent book might be the crowning glory of this “King of Authors” (a title dubbed by me even partway through the outstanding prose in “The Speckled beauty”). What a book, what quality writing!

Instead of just 5 stars ***** I am also adding my own rating of 5 tacos 🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮 just to draw your attention to my review because I want you to become aware of this extraordinary book about a wonderfully human man and his outrageously disobedient dog — it is literary art handcrafted as by the Michelangelo of print…AND the author narrates it in his own richly developed Southern drawl with perfect voice inflections and pauses. I should apologize to you viewers for recommending it so highly with superlatives but I could not help it: this writer and his rascal dog deserve first-class praise!

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Beyond Cruelty, Beyond Mercy

Revisado: 07-19-22

This true story of a young teenage girl’s mind-control by a series of sex traffickers is beyond understanding: why would some human beings choose to be such merciless bullies? The account appears authentic though and Rachel Atkins delivers a stellar performance as the narrator. I had thought I knew a fair amount about sex-trafficking but I did not know how horrific the specifics are. This is definitely an informative book but not an easy one to endure (even as a listener).
Please stay safe now, Caitlin Spencer!

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