Audiobooks narrated by Kim Staunton

Loreli Winters never imagined she'd end up a 'mail-order bride' in middle-of-nowhere Kansas -- until the two adorable orphan nieces of a dusky dream named Jake Reed beg her to be their new 'mama.' And one look at the dark, devastatingly handsome man is enough to entice her to abandon her California plans and stay put for a while in this one-horse frontier town. Strong, sensible Jake was hoping for a wife to help him raise his girls, but Loreli may be more than he can handle. He can't stop wondering what it would be like to hold the fiery enchantress close and kiss her deeply. Surely he could never compete with the sophisticated gents she has known, yet he intends to try. But will his honest passion be enough to take a chance on a long-shot called love?

Beverly Jenkins (Author), Kim Staunton (Narrator)

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A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History

Explodes the fables that have been created about 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 not only as 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.

Jeanne Theoharis (Author), Kim Staunton (Narrator)

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A Seat at the Table: The Life and Times of Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisolm rose from being the child of immigrants to running for the highest office in the land. She was both the first African American woman elected to the US Congress and the first African American woman of a major political party to make a serious run for president of the United States. These achievements were not in spite of her background but rather because of it. She persevered by being steadfast in her political convictions and unwilling to compromise on the issues she believed in. Chisholm directly challenged the political establishment and gave a political voice to so many segments of society that were historically ignored—women, racial minorities, young people, the gay community, domestic and agricultural workers, and the poor—not only in her home district in Brooklyn, New York, but across the country. Her run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination may not have ended in victory, but it was successful in forging a grassroots campaign that united diverse Americans behind a candidate who championed their collective interests. Her efforts laid the groundwork for change then, now, and in the future. Without Shirley Chisholm, there may not have been a Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, or Kamala Harris. “A Seat at the Table is a must-read. The authors share Shirley Chisholm’s personal narrative and convey how she was passionate about equality and education as she navigated racism and sexism in the United States. She is an inspiration to all of uswho serve the public good.”—Dr. Camille M. Davidson, Dean of Southern Illinois University School of Law

Drs. Glenn L. Starks, F. Erik Brooks (Author), Kim Staunton (Narrator)

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A Silken Thread

When true love meets dark secrets, which side will win? Don't miss this reader favorite from New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson Finding a soulmate was the easy part for Erica Sanders. Brian Lawson is everything she could have dreamed of and then some. Everyone agrees… everyone, that is, except for her own mother, who delights in uncovering Brian's betrayal that implodes everything and destroys their engagement. Yet Erin has lingering doubts over her choice. What if there were more secrets, ones that changed everything? A chance meeting proves the passion between Brian and Erica hasn't dimmed-but neither has the determination of others to keep them apart. But as startling layers of deception are brought to light, Erica and Brian find themselves caught between the bonds of the past and an uncertain future. Masterfully told with the sensuality and drama that Brenda Jackson does best, this is an unforgettable story of relationships at their most complex, and how hard it can be to choose between living separate lives or holding fast when love hangs by a silken thread.

Brenda Jackson (Author), Kim Staunton (Narrator)

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Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction

From an award-winning team of editors comes an anthology of thirty-two original stories showcasing the breadth of fantasy and science fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora. A group of cabinet ministers queries a supercomputer containing the minds of the country’s ancestors. A child robot on a dying planet uncovers signs of fragile new life. A descendant of a rain goddess inherits her grandmother’s ability to change her appearance—and perhaps the world. Created in the legacy of the seminal, award-winning anthology series Dark Matter, Africa Risen celebrates the vibrancy, diversity, and reach of African and AfroDiasporic science fiction and fantasy and reaffirms that Africa is not rising—it’s already here.

Sheree Renee Thomas (Author), Amin El Gamal, Dele Ogundiran, Jamie Lincoln Smith, Kim Staunton, Tamika Katon-Donegal, Tony Tambi (Narrator)

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At Home with Muhammad Ali: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Forgiveness

Random House presents the audiobook edition of At Home with Muhammad Ali by Hana Ali, read by Kim Staunton. At Home with Muhammad Ali is an intimate, behind-the-scenes portrait of a legend, a man admired and respected as the greatest sporting icon of our age, written by Ali's daughter Hana. As Muhammad Ali approached the end of his astonishing boxing career, he strove to embrace a new purpose and role in life beyond the ring. It was a role that would see him take centre stage as an ambassador for peace and friendship, whilst at the same time attempting to find balance and harmony with his many commitments and responsibilities as a husband, devoted father, son and friend. In the 1970s Ali began recording a series of audio diaries, mostly in his LA home. Through these private tapes, as well as personal journals, love letters and many never-before-seen photographs, we discover Ali the family man and see how, despite the complexities of his personal life, he went to extraordinary lengths to keep all of his nine children united and to help others - be they family, friend or stranger. We also hear of the everyday adventures the family experienced, with visitors such as Michael Jackson, Clint Eastwood and John Travolta dropping by. Candid and revealing, At Home with Muhammad Ali is more than Hana's family memoir. It is a moving and poignant letter of love and affection from a daughter to a father.

Hana Yasmeen Ali (Author), Kim Staunton (Narrator)

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Beyond Desire

Amanda has been appointed principal of the junior high school in her small community. But this promotion will surely be withdrawn if the school board discovers that she is pregnant and unmarried. When an old friend introduces Amanda to a handsome young man, she makes a very unusual business arrangement with him: in exchange for a generous fee, he will be her "husband" until the baby is born. The arrangement seems perfect--until an attraction grows between them that begins to radically change their desires. Gwynne Forster's best-selling African-American romances have touched the hearts of millions of readers, and Kim Staunton's narration adds pure bliss to this story of longing, loving, and learning to care.

Gwynne Forster (Author), Kim Staunton (Narrator)

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Breathless

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 bestselling 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…

Beverly Jenkins (Author), Kim Staunton (Narrator)

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Captured

A high-stakes historical romance from Beverly Jenkins, award-winning author of Night Song and Jewel, in which a stunning young slave and a roguish privateer share forbidden passion on the high seas. She was the most irresistible treasure of all . . . Dominic LeVeq, the most notorious privateer ever to command the high seas, has just captured a coveted prize: a British frigate. On a dangerous mission against the Crown, Dominic should be thinking only of his ship's safety. But the rebel captain is utterly entranced by Clare Sullivan, the stunning slave on board. Consumed by desire, desperate to have her, Dominic offers Clare her freedom in exchange for a forbidden night in his bed—a night he assures her will be most pleasureable indeed. Clare believes that Dominic is nothing more than a seductive rogue used to getting what he wants. But she too feels a tantalizing passion between them, and so she submits to just one night of bliss. She'll soon realize that Dominic has captured more than her body. He's captured her heart . . . and she doesn't want him to ever let go.

Beverly Jenkins (Author), Kim Staunton (Narrator)

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Caught Up in the Rapture

When fate brings college student Jazmine and gangsta rapper X-Man together, they have nothing in common but a dream to make it in the music business. Suddenly Black Tie Records discovers them both, and they discover each other. Can their passionate love survive a world scarred with street violence and cut-throat ambition? Sheneska Jackson captures the gritty language and ambiance of the 'hood.

Sheneska Jackson (Author), Dion Graham, Kim Staunton, Peter Francis James (Narrator)

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Chasing King's Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassin

An astonishing account of the assassination of America's most beloved and celebrated civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, by NY Times bestselling author, James L. Swanson. In his meteoric, thirteen-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 bestselling Scholastic MG/YA books Chasing Lincoln's Killer and "THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SHOT!", Swanson transports readers back to one of the most shocking, sad, and terrifying events in American history.

James L. Swanson (Author), Kim Staunton (Narrator)

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Climbing the Rough Side of the Mountain: The extraordinary story of love, civil rights, and labor ac

The remarkable story of a couple who came together during the Civil Rights Movement and made fighting for equality and civil and workers’ rights their purpose for more than sixty years, overcoming adversity—with the strength of their love and commitment—to bring about meaningful change. Norman Hill was the national program director of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), staff coordinator for the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, staff representative of the Industrial Union Department of the AFL-CIO, and president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute from 1980 to 2004, the longest tenure in the organization’s history. He remains its president emeritus. Velma Murphy Hill, a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, was a leader of the Chicago Wade-in to integrate Rainbow Beach, East Coast field secretary for CORE, and assistant to the president of the United Federation of Teachers, where she unionized 10,000 paraprofessionals, primarily Black and Hispanic, working in New York public schools. She was vice president of the American Federation of Teachers and International Affairs and civil rights director of the Service Employees International Union. The Hills were the only Black couple to hold leadership positions in the civil rights and labor movements. When Velma Murphy was knocked unconscious by a brick thrown by a man from an angry white mob and was carried away by Norman Hill, it was the beginning ofa six-decade-long love story and the turmoil, excitement, and struggle for civil rights and labor movements. In Climbing the Rough Side of the Mountain, the Hills reflect upon their more than half century of fighting to make America realize the best of itself. Through profound conversations between the two, Velma and Norman Hill share their earliest memories of facing racial segregation in the 1960s, working with Martin Luther King, Jr., Bayard Rustin, and A. Philip Randolph, crossing paths with Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael. They also reveal how they kept white supremacists like David Duke from taking office, organized workers into unions, met with Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and continued to work tirelessly, fighting the good fight and successfully challenging power with truth.

Norman Hill, Velma Murphy Hill (Author), Arnell Powell, Kim Staunton (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Kim Staunton