LZSmith
- 13
- reviews
- 1
- helpful vote
- 38
- ratings
-
The Devil's Half Acre
- The Untold Story of How One Woman Liberated the South's Most Notorious Slave Jail
- By: Kristen Green
- Narrated by: Deanna Anthony
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author Kristen Green draws on years of research to tell the extraordinary and little-known story of young Mary Lumpkin, an enslaved woman who blazed a path of liberation for thousands. She was forced to have the children of a brutal slave trader and live on the premises of his slave jail, known as the “Devil’s Half Acre”. When she inherited the jail after the death of her slaveholder, she transformed it into “God’s Half Acre”, a school where Black men could fulfill their dreams.
-
-
Preachy
- By Elizabeth Combs on 09-13-22
- The Devil's Half Acre
- The Untold Story of How One Woman Liberated the South's Most Notorious Slave Jail
- By: Kristen Green
- Narrated by: Deanna Anthony
Another Unknown Piece of History
Reviewed: 08-26-24
This was a painful yet enlightening lesson on the greatness of enslaved Black Americans and those who fought, sacrificed, and survived the unspeakable.This is a telling story of the evil that men do. There is so much to say about it. I am grateful.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Yellow Wife
- A Novel
- By: Sadeqa Johnson
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life. Shielded by her mother’s position as the estate’s medicine woman and cherished by the Master’s sister, she is set apart from the others on the plantation, belonging to neither world. She’d been promised freedom on her eighteenth birthday, but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love, Essex Henry, Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. She unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half Acre.
-
-
A Real page turner
- By Elizabeth Early on 01-19-21
- The Yellow Wife
- A Novel
- By: Sadeqa Johnson
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
Painfully Good Read
Reviewed: 05-07-24
As much as we have our own narratives about slavery and the cruelty that came with that time, there is no comparison to the reality from those who lived it. "Yellow Wife" gave me more than I expected and it was clear the author did her homework. This is more than a work of fiction from the imagination. The story of Pheby is one of tragedy after tragedy endured by a young woman who had grown up sheltered from the true horrors of slavery. Her sheltered life was due to her white father, the slave owner and her mother, his favored slave. After her mother and father died in and accident and her love had to run, everthing changed. The master's wife, who hated her, had Pheby dragged off to be punished and sold as she attended her mother's funeral. The story rose to a point of my own physical anxiety for Pheby and everyone she loved as she grew up and learned about the power of love and survival.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Spare
- By: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
- Narrated by: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
- Length: 15 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.
-
-
Gutterball!
- By Jimmyjoejangles on 01-10-23
- Spare
- By: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
- Narrated by: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
No Longer The Spare
Reviewed: 02-07-23
This memoire was everything I expected and more. Prince Harry, my Prince Harry (I was born in Luton Bedfordshire, England but raise in the USA) walked with me and talked with me through the audible version of Spare and poured out his soul. Hearing his voice tell his life story and his truths starting from the beginning made me empathize and sympathize with him, giggle and gasp at his imperfections and antics, and pause in reflection and amazement at his accomplishments and actions.
I have 4 siblings, and I'm the second oldest of the 5 of us. I realized as we got older that, while we all grew up in the same environment with the same parents, we all had our own interpretation and feelings about shared situations or events. It's based on who we were in the lineup and how old we were, but also on who we were and are as individuals. We are not clones of each other. No one, no matter who they are, can fathom what life for Prince Harry, the "Spare", has been from the moment he realized his station in this family of age-old historical royalty.
He told his story as it can only be told by him, for him, and in his own words. Harry did not hold back about his mental health, vices, deepest struggles, closest relationships, and he clarified all the half truths, gossip, and lies about him. He breaks down how the Royal ROTA forged this relationship with the UK press, putting the RF in position to sell their souls and loved ones out in exchange for positive press and popularity.
This is a well thought out memoire that makes you want to call him occasionally to check on Harry and the family, just to make sure they're okay. Betrayal of those he was supposed to trust and wanted to trust was the hardest to hear in his own voice. You hear the disbelief, the hurt, the yearning, and the let down. Over and over.
The only love he has ever truly felt was from his mother. She gave him the nourishment his heart hungered for, particularly as a child. He learned the value of devotion, loyalty, intimacy, and cherishing humanity from his mother. You walk with him through the loss of his mother, the processing or not processing it. It seems he will never get over how he lost her. I'm not so sure he should. Not getting over it has fueled his drive to protect his own wife and children.
You journey with Prince Harry as a soldier and through his battle to remain a soldier in spite of the additional damage it lent to his mental health and in dpite of the press disregarding the danger of exposing him. Through his military journey and love of Africa, he found camaraderie, solitude, adventure, peace, and personal freedom.
I remember during the Oprah interview Harry said Meghan saved him. I get it. She rescued him from the gilded cage. Their love story was full of joy, excitement, adventure, and yet, so much pain, frustration, and fear from his beloved family and country. Some of us understand the dynamic of loving our own flesh and blood that also proves to be toxic to our well-being. We yearn for them to be what we need, to love us properly, to have our backs, and to be trustworthy. I get it. At some point, when you tried everything, you have to accept them, and as my mother says, feed them with a long spoon. Meghan gave him the freedom to love, to fall, to fight, to be himself, and she accepted everything that came with loving him unconditionally. In the end, love wins. Harry wins. He is a warrior, a fierce human being with flaws, an enormous heart, and a beautiful soul. Although his own brother tried to convince him he'd be alone, he is not. He is free to fly. Harry is no longer the Spare.
He is Harry the hummingbird.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Kindred
- By: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Kim Staunton
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning White boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life. During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes she's been given a challenge.
-
-
The Past of Slavery Still Moves and Wounds Us
- By Jefferson on 12-05-10
- Kindred
- By: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Kim Staunton
Four Times
Reviewed: 07-17-22
I love this book. I've read it 4 times. I need to see it made into a movies asap! I even decided to learn how to write a screenplay.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Second Time Sweeter: A Blessings Novel
- Blessings Series, Book 9
- By: Beverly Jenkins
- Narrated by: Lynnette R. Freeman
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Malachi “Mal” July has run into trouble in the past. With a reputation as a player, he’s now a recovering alcoholic and has made progress in redeeming himself in the eyes of his family and the citizens of Henry Adams, Kansas. He’s turned his diner into a profitable business, and mentors the town’s foster kids. And he’s even staying true to one woman - Bernadine Brown. But all it takes is a moment of pride to blind Mal to his blessings - a moment that makes him betray his friends and family, and lose Bernadine’s trust and love. Will he ever be able to win her forgiveness?
-
-
Story was good but the narrator was the worst !!
- By Luv2read on 09-03-18
- Second Time Sweeter: A Blessings Novel
- Blessings Series, Book 9
- By: Beverly Jenkins
- Narrated by: Lynnette R. Freeman
We Need A TV Series
Reviewed: 03-07-22
The narrator changed Devin's name to Devon and at times seemed to confuse the voices of the characters. The only improvement would be to have a man do make voices. Otherwise, did not disappoint! I love Henry Adams!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Bring on the Blessings
- A Novel
- By: Beverly Jenkins
- Narrated by: Lynnette R. Freeman
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bernadine Brown is a woman with money to spend. Henry Adams is a town in desperate need of cash. But after Bernadine puts up the money, she has some ideas about how the town should be run. Will the townspeople be willing to shake up their comfortable lives to share the gift they’ve been given with others who really need it?
-
-
Not my idea of a Christian story
- By DJ Stevenson on 04-12-21
- Bring on the Blessings
- A Novel
- By: Beverly Jenkins
- Narrated by: Lynnette R. Freeman
Beautifully Read!
Reviewed: 08-14-21
I loved this book but the what made it even more enjoyable was the incredible narration.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Wings of Fury
- Wings of Fury, Book 1
- By: Emily R. King
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Emily R. King, author of the Hundredth Queen series, comes an epic novel of ancient Greece, Titans and treachery, and the women who dare to rise up against the tyranny of the Golden Age.
-
-
struggled with it
- By LiburConi on 04-04-22
- Wings of Fury
- Wings of Fury, Book 1
- By: Emily R. King
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
Loved It!
Reviewed: 05-17-21
Thank you Emily! You're a vivid storyteller! DOBM can't wait for the sequel! Loved Althea and her sisters!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Tying the Scot
- By: Jennifer Trethewey
- Narrated by: Ruth Urquhart
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At age 11, Alex Sinclair pledges an oath to the Duke of Chatham promising to serve and protect his illegitimate daughter, Lucy FitzHarris. Nine years later, the duke unexpectedly takes Alex up on his vow, offering the future Laird of Balforss his daughter's hand in marriage. Now a man, hotheaded Alex has difficulty convincing Lucy - who would rather starve to death than marry a vulgar Scot - to go through with the arranged marriage.
-
-
I RARELY Give More Then 4 Stars🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇
- By T.D.Willis on 08-27-20
- Tying the Scot
- By: Jennifer Trethewey
- Narrated by: Ruth Urquhart
The Narration Was...
Reviewed: 11-23-20
While I enjoyed the story, there were moments the writing felt green enough to pulled me from the flow of the story. This took place in areas where I struggled to get through the staccato, the one dimensional accents, and the love scenes that sounded too corny. Some corny is expected but this had too many contributions to my frustration. I did enjoy the story and its dimensions. However, I expected a Langley to show and there be a fight for Lucy's affections between him and Alex. I hated to see that storyline end so abruptly. Overall, I enjoyed it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Woman in the Window
- A Novel
- By: A. J. Finn
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anna Fox lives alone - a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times...and spying on her neighbors. Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, mother, their teenaged son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn't, her world begins to crumble. And its shocking secrets are laid bare.
-
-
An excruciating listen.
- By Debra on 01-12-18
- The Woman in the Window
- A Novel
- By: A. J. Finn
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
So good!
Reviewed: 04-02-18
Although a bit of a slow start, everything is relevant. The building of characters, scenery, story line. Couldn't stop listening! It builds and you think you know but you don't. Keeps you guessing, thinking. Questioning. About to be a book club fave!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
The Rogue Queen
- The Hundredth Queen, Book 3
- By: Emily R. King
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo, Scott Merriman
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Despite the odds, Kalinda has survived it all: Marriage to a tyrant. Tournaments to the death. The forbidden power to rule fire. The icy touch of a demon. That same demon now disguises itself as Rajah Tarek, Kalinda's late husband and a man who has never stopped haunting her. Upon taking control of the palace and the army, the demon brands Kalinda and her companions as traitors to the empire. They flee across the sea, seeking haven in the Southern Isles. To take back the empire, Kalinda will ally with those she distrusts.
-
-
Male Narrator Mispronounces Main Character’s Name AGAIN
- By SometimesMaven on 04-29-18
- The Rogue Queen
- The Hundredth Queen, Book 3
- By: Emily R. King
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo, Scott Merriman
Enchanting
Reviewed: 03-22-18
This was a beautifully written story. I would have liked to see the heroin in less situations where she was injured and more situations winning. Overall, I loved the story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!