FRIENTIMACY
Narrator Robin Eller was an astute choice to read this striking advice on how to find the intimate friends we crave. Her phrasing is nuanced, her pitch patterns are creative and sophisticated, and her sure-footed grasp of these ideas and suggestions makes them sound powerful and true. Aimed at women, Nelson’s advice begins with a description of intimacy that will resonate with everyone: It’s a feeling with someone that we matter, that we are understood at a deep level, and that we can trust our friend to accept us and prioritize our needs when we express them. Recommending that we give up perfectionism and impatience when we’re developing intimate friendships, she invites us to focus on what we can control: being positive and generous, living consistently, and being courageous about expressing our vulnerabilities. T.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award

LIFE INTERRUPTED
Submitting to the order God has in mind for us figures heavily in this sweetly narrated lesson on how to handle interruptions in the ideal life we make for ourselves. The author, who has written other spiritual guides, is a wife, mother, broadcaster, and minister who uses biblical stories, especially that of the prophet Jonah, to show how unexpected setbacks are God’s way of redirecting us toward a destiny that is more suited to our true nature—and His will. Though many of these parables and lessons could drift into sentimentality, Robin Ray Eller’s narration elevates them into the realm of memorable inspiration. Even with her youthful speaking voice, she makes a mature and appealing case for the author’s message.l

SISTER OUTSIDER
A lot has changed since this collection of essays and speeches was published more than 20 years ago, but this commemorative audio edition also is a reminder of how much has stayed the same. Black poet and lesbian activist Lorde addresses fundamental issues related to race, gender, sexual orientation, and politics. Robin Eller's narration embodies the quiet sense of urgency and intensity of many of the pieces. Eller expresses the empathy of the author as well as her deep frustration and anger on specific topics. Eller's conversational tone supports the accessibility of Lorde's ideas, whether presented in a brief letter to a white radical feminist, in informal notes on a trip, or in formal essays.

HIDDEN GIRL
Robin Eller gives Hall's narrative no accent; rather, she reads it in a staccato, affected manner. She reserves accents for the dialogue of Hall's parents and captors and does a credible job of expressing the wide range of emotions Hall experiences, showing the self-confidence she gained during her ordeal

OUR AUNTIE ROSA
Narrator Robin Eller delivers these varied remembrances of Rosa Parks by her extended family with care and respect. It's an intimate look at a legend that goes beyond what's in history textbooks--for example, Parks saved the hate mail she received, and she practiced yoga later in her life. The respective authors aren't identified until the end of each essay, which can lead to some confusion. Multiple narrators might have made sense, or at least a male voice to provide some contrast with Eller's. Nevertheless, listeners will be rewarded with insights about both the continuing work and the private life of this Civil Rights hero.

CROSSING EBENEZER CREEK
Robin Eller delivers the alternating viewpoints of two freed slaves, Caleb and Mariah, who meet in 1864. Eller excels at revealing both the public and private sides of Caleb. Outwardly, he's kind and gentle as he guides others recently freed from a Georgia plantation, paying close attention to Mariah and her younger brother. But Caleb's journal reveals his discomfort with his secret past, along with his growing feelings for Mariah. In the second viewpoint, Eller makes Mariah's suffering palpable as she tells Caleb stories of the cruel owners who murdered her parents. As the two follow General Sherman and his men on the path to Savannah, Eller recounts their developing love, honesty, and hope. The little-known story of the massacre of freed blacks at Ebenezer Creek adds further poignancy to the story.