Kim Staunton has narrated 15 audiobooks on Listento.it by 10 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.2★ across 129 ratings. The most-rated is Kindred.
Kindred
Summary
The first science-fiction written by a Black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of African-American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity. 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 the challenge she's been given: to protect this young slaveholder until he can father her own great-grandmother. Author Octavia E. Butler skilfully juxtaposes the serious issues of slavery, human rights, and racial prejudice with an exciting science-fiction, romance, and historical adventure. Kim Staunton's narrative talent magically transforms the listener's earphones into an audio time machine.
©2000 Octavia Butler (P)2000 Recorded Books, LLC
Saving Ruby King
Summary
Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2020 by Ms. Magazine, USA Today, Book Riot, The Rumpus, Library Journal, PureWow, The Everygirl, Parade, and more. “Forever and to the end. That’s what they say instead of I love you.” When Ruby King’s mother is found murdered in their home in Chicago’s South Side, the police dismiss it as another act of violence in a Black neighborhood. But for Ruby, it’s a devastating loss that leaves her on her own with her violent father. While she receives many condolences, her best friend, Layla, is the only one who understands how this puts Ruby in jeopardy. Their closeness is tested when Layla’s father, the pastor of their church, demands that Layla stay away. But what is the price for turning a blind eye? In a relentless quest to save Ruby, Layla uncovers the murky loyalties and dangerous secrets that have bound their families together for generations. Only by facing this legacy of trauma head-on will Ruby be able to break free. An unforgettable debut novel, Saving Ruby King is a powerful testament that history doesn’t determine the present and the bonds of friendship can forever shape the future.
©2020 Catherine Adel West (P)2020 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited
The Bourbon Thief
Summary
Betrayal, revenge, and a family scandal that bore a 150-year-old mystery. When Cooper McQueen wakes up from a night with a beautiful stranger, it's to discover he's been robbed. The only item stolen: a million-dollar bottle of bourbon. The thief, a mysterious woman named Paris, claims the bottle is rightfully hers. After all, the label itself says it's property of the Maddox family, who owned and operated Red Thread Bourbon distillery since the last days of the Civil War, until the company went out of business for reasons no one knows...no one except Paris. In the small hours of a Louisville morning, Paris unspools the lurid tale of Tamara Maddox, heiress to the distillery that became an empire. Theirs is a legacy of wealth and power but also of lies, secrets, and sins of omission. Why Paris wants the bottle of Red Thread remains a secret until the truth of her identity is at last revealed, and the century-old vengeance Tamara vowed against her family can finally be completed.
©2016 Tiffany Reisz (P)2016 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited.
Forbidden
Summary
USA Today best-selling author Beverly Jenkins returns with the first book in a breathtaking new series set in the Old West. Rhine Fontaine is building the successful life he's always dreamed of - one that depends upon him passing for white. But for the first time in years, he wishes he could step out from behind the façade. The reason: Eddy Carmichael, the young woman he rescued in the desert. Outspoken, defiant, and beautiful, Eddy tempts Rhine in ways that could cost him everything...and the price seems worth paying. Eddy owes her life to Rhine, but she won't risk her heart for him. As soon as she's saved enough money from her cooking, she'll leave this Nevada town and move to California. No matter how handsome he is, no matter how fiery the heat between them, Rhine will never be hers. Giving in for just one night might quench this longing. Or it might ignite an affair as reckless and irresistible as it is forbidden....
©2016 Beverly Jenkins (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers
Rebel
Summary
The first novel in USA Today best-selling author Beverly Jenkins’ compelling new series follows a Northern woman south in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War.... Valinda Lacey’s mission in the steamy heart of New Orleans is to help the newly emancipated community survive and flourish. But soon, she discovers that here, freedom can also mean danger. When thugs destroy the school she has set up and then target her, Valinda runs for her life - and straight into the arms of Captain Drake LeVeq. As an architect from an old New Orleans family, Drake has a deeply personal interest in rebuilding the city. Raised by strong women, he recognizes Valinda’s determination. And he can’t stop admiring - or wanting - her. But when Valinda’s father demands she return home to marry a man she doesn’t love, her daring rebellion draws Drake into an irresistible intrigue.
©2017 Beverly Jenkins (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers
Wild Rain
Summary
USA Today best-selling author Beverly Jenkins continues her captivating Women Who Dare series with a female rancher who forges her own path in the wake of the Civil War.... Banished by her grandfather at the age of 18, Spring Lee has survived scandal to claim her own little slice of Paradise, Wyoming. She’s proud of working her ranch alone and unwilling to share it with a stranger - especially one like Garrett McCray, who makes her second-guess her resolve to avoid men. Garrett escaped slavery years ago and is now a reporter in Washington. He’s traveled west to interview Dr. Colton Lee for an article, yet it’s Lee’s fearless sister, Spring, who captures his interest. Clad in denim and buckskins instead of dresses, she’s the most fascinating woman he’s ever met. And he’s certain she also feels the connection that sizzles between them. But when a shadow from Spring’s past returns, all is on the line: her ranch, her safety - and this wild, fierce love.
©2020 Beverly Jenkins (P)2020 HarperAudio
Homemade Love
Summary
Critics have compared her work to that of Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, but J. California Cooper has a warm, witty style that’s definitely her own. Each of her short stories is a gem of downhome wisdom, polished with a bit of gossip, some heartbreak, and lots of humor. In "Funny Valentines" a "simple" woman draws one heart on Valentine’s Day and divides it among the people she loves, until all but one of them lies in the cemetery. "Living" portrays a man in midlife crisis who leaves his loving wife and pleasant country home for a taste of high city living and returns with a new perspective on life. "Spooks" is the tongue-in-cheek tale of a man who masquerades as a ghost in order to outsmart an unscrupulous suitor and win the heart of a vulnerable widow. Sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and always touching, J. California Cooper’s characters enlighten us and enrich us as they find love in unlikely places. The warm narrations will give listeners a sense of chatting with nosy but well-meaning neighbors over the back fence.
©1986 J. California Cooper (P)2000 Recorded Books, LLC
Chasing King's Killer
Summary
An astonishing account of the assassination of America's most beloved and celebrated civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., by New York Times best-selling author, James L. Swanson. In his meteoric, 13-year rise to fame, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a mass movement for civil rights - with his relentless peaceful, non-violent protests, public demonstrations, and eloquent speeches. But as violent threats cast a dark shadow over Dr. King's life, Swanson hones in on James Earl Ray, a bizarre, racist prison escapee who tragically ends King's life. As he did in his best-selling Scholastic MG/YA books Chasing Lincoln's Killer and "The President Has Been Shot!", Swanson transports listeners back to one of the most shocking, sad, and terrifying events in American history.
©2018 James L. Swanson (P)2018 Scholastic Inc.
Reclaiming Her Time
Summary
In the tradition of Notorious RBG, a lively celebration of the life, wisdom, wit, legacy, and fearless style of iconic American Congresswoman Maxine Waters. “Let me just say this: I’m a strong black woman, and I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be undermined. I cannot be thought to be afraid of Bill O’Reilly or anyone.” (Maxine Waters) To millions nationwide, Congresswoman Maxine Waters is a hero of the resistance and an icon, serving eye rolls, withering looks, and sharp retorts to any who dare waste her time on nonsense. But behind the Auntie Maxine meme is a seasoned public servant, and she’s not here to play. Throughout her 40 years in public service and 80 years on earth, the US representative for California’s 43rd district has been a role model, a crusader for justice, a game-changer, a trailblazer, and an advocate for the marginalized who has long defied her critics, including her most vocal detractor, Donald J. Trump. And she’s just getting started. From her anti-apartheid work and support of affirmative action to her passionate opposition to the Iraq War and calls to hold Trump to account, you can count on Auntie Maxine to speak truth to power and do it with grace and, sometimes, sass. As ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee and one of the most powerful Black women in America, she is the strong, ethical voice the country has always needed, especially right now. Reclaiming Her Time pays tribute to all things Maxine Waters, from growing up in St. Louis “too skinny” and “too Black”, to taking on Wall Street during the financial crisis and coming out on top in her legendary showdowns with Trump and his cronies. Featuring inspiring highlights from her personal life and political career, beloved memes, and testimonies from her many friends and fans, Reclaiming Her Time is a funny, warm, and admiring portrait of a champion who refuses to stay silent in the face of corruption and injustice; a powerful woman who is an inspiration to us all. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2020 Helena Andrews-Dyer and R. Eric Thomas (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers
Night Song
Summary
A traitorous heart.... Cara Lee Henson knows no soldier can be trusted to stay in one place - and that includes handsome Sergeant Chase Jefferson of the Tenth Cavalry. Dallying with the dashing man in blue could cost the pretty, independent Kansas schoolteacher her job and her reputation. So Cara is determined to repel Chase’s advances - even though her aloof facade barely masks her smoldering desire. A blazing passion.... Never before has Chase longed for a woman the way he ached for lovely Cara Lee. The strong-willed ebony beauty, however, will not surrender easily. But with tender words and soulful caresses, Chase intends to conquer the reluctant schoolmarm’s misgivings - and teach her how to love fully, sensuously...and forever.
©1994 Beverly Jenkins (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers
Breathless
Summary
A strong-willed beauty finds herself in the arms of the handsome drifter from her past in this second book in the sizzling series set in the Old West, from USA Today best-selling author Beverly Jenkins. As manager of one of the finest hotels in Arizona Territory, Portia Carmichael has respect and stability - qualities sorely missing from her harsh childhood. She refuses to jeopardize that by hitching herself to the wrong man. Suitors are plentiful, but none of them has ever looked quite as tempting as the family friend who just rode into town, and none has looked at her with such intensity and heat. Duchess. That's the nickname Kent Randolph gave Portia when she was a young girl. Now she's a stunning, intelligent woman - and Kent has learned his share of hard lessons. After drifting through the West, he's learned the value of a place to settle down, and in Portia's arms he's found that and more. But convincing her to trust him with her heart, not just her passion, will be the greatest challenge he's known - and one he intends to win.
©2017 Beverly Jenkins (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
A More Beautiful and Terrible History
Summary
Praised by The New York Times; O, The Oprah Magazine; Bitch Magazine; Slate; Publishers Weekly; and more, this is "a bracing corrective to a national mythology" (New York Times) around the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement has become national legend, lauded by presidents from Reagan to Obama to Trump, as proof of the power of American democracy. This fable, featuring dreamy heroes and accidental heroines, has shuttered the movement firmly in the past, whitewashed the forces that stood in its way, and diminished its scope. And it is used perniciously in our own times to chastise present-day movements and obscure contemporary injustice. In A More Beautiful and Terrible History, award-winning historian Jeanne Theoharis dissects this national myth-making, teasing apart the accepted stories to show them in a strikingly different light. We see Rosa Parks not simply as a bus lady but a lifelong criminal justice activist and radical; Martin Luther King, Jr. as not only challenging Southern sheriffs but Northern liberals, too; and Coretta Scott King as not only a "helpmate" but a lifelong economic justice and peace activist who pushed her husband's activism in these directions. Moving from "the histories we get" to "the histories we need", Theoharis challenges nine key aspects of the fable to reveal the diversity of people, especially women and young people, who led the movement; the work and disruption it took; the role of the media and "polite racism" in maintaining injustice; and the immense barriers and repression activists faced. Theoharis makes us reckon with the fact that far from being acceptable, passive, or unified, the civil rights movement was unpopular, disruptive, and courageously persevering. Activists embraced an expansive vision of justice - which a majority of Americans opposed and which the federal government feared. By showing us the complex reality of the movement, the power of its organizing, and the beauty and scope of the vision, Theoharis proves that there was nothing natural or inevitable about the progress that occurred. A More Beautiful and Terrible History will change our historical frame, revealing the richness of our civil rights legacy, the uncomfortable mirror it holds to the nation, and the crucial work that remains to be done. Winner of the 2018 Brooklyn Public Library Literary Prize in Nonfiction
©2018 Jeanne Theoharis (P)2018 Beacon Press
Hidden Sins
Summary
The Devil in her... Mara Reed's been stirring up trouble since she was 18 - running scams, living on the edge, always on the run. Now, when two thugs are after her with murder on their minds, she's forced into hiding in her small Texas hometown. But cornered in an alley, only seconds from death, an unexpected rescuer comes to her aid - Dr. Ethan Stuart, the dark and beautiful scientist whose heart she once broke and betrayed....the only man Mara ever loved. A forensic anthropologist, Ethan is investigating a gruesome discovery - nearly 100 dead bodies dating back 50 years - a mystery linked to the church once headed by Mara's father. Ethan needs Mara's help; she needs his protection. And their search for a shocking, devastating truth could lead them to forgiveness, salvation, passion, and back to love... if they can survive the journey.
©2006 Stacey Abrams (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers
Tempest
Summary
From USA Today best-selling author Beverly Jenkins comes a new novel in a mesmerizing series set in the Old West, where an arranged marriage becomes a grand passion.... What kind of mail-order bride greets her intended with a bullet instead of a kiss? One like Regan Carmichael - an independent spirit equally at home in denims and dresses. Shooting Dr. Colton Lee in the shoulder is an honest error, but soon Regan wonders if her entire plan to marry a man she's never met is a mistake. Colton, who buried his heart along with his first wife, insists he only wants someone to care for his daughter. Yet Regan is drawn to the unmistakable desire in his gaze. Regan's far from the docile bride Colton was expecting. Still, few women would brave the wilds of Wyoming Territory for an uncertain future with a widower and his child. The thought of having a bold, forthright woman like Regan in his life - and in his arms - begins to inspire a new dream. And despite his family's disapproval and an unseen enemy, he'll risk all to make this match a real union of body and soul.
©2018 Beverly Jenkins (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers
Secrets and Lies
Summary
She just witnessed her uncle's murder, she's running for her life, and now Dr. Katelyn Lyda is face-to-face with a breathtaking man who could be her salvation. Tall, sexy, his eyes full of mysterious promises, he seems to have the answer she needs. It's too bad Sebastian Caine is one of the bad guys.... A "recovery specialist" skilled at separating prized possessions from their owners, Sebastian is after an ancient relic. But he reconsiders the job when he finds himself staring at the wrong end of a gun. The beautiful lady with her finger on the trigger seems to have everything he needs - and not just the artifact. Sebastian's conscience has never bothered him before - but then he has never wanted any woman more. With her life in jeopardy, Kat wonders how far she can trust Sebastian Caine...how long she can resist him...and dare she fall in love?
©2007 Stacey Abrams (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers