Audiobooks narrated by Sean Rohani

Song of Ancient Lovers: A Novel Audiobook

"Award-winning Colombian author Laura Restrepo weaves contemporary themes and ancient myth in this story of star-crossed lovers in a world on the brink of collapse. Retelling the mythical love story between the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon in the refugee camps of the present day, Song of Ancient Lovers is a sublime ode to love and desire as forces shaping human history, with power that rivals forces of destruction. Ethereal in its weaving of the real and the mythical, the contemporary and the ancient, this is the story of Bos Mutas, a young writer traveling from South America to northern Africa in search of traces of his obsession. His research unveils the Queen of Sheba as unyielding and committed to her independence, with remarkable influence both in her time—over Solomon and all the subjects in her expansive kingdom—and on thinkers and artists across the centuries, from Thomas Aquinas to Gérard de Nerval, Frida Kahlo to Patti Smith. He also finds traces of her influence in the magic made of devastating circumstances by women he meets on his journey, especially Zahra Bayda, a Somali midwife who has taken it upon herself to show him around. Stunning and evocative, Song of Ancient Lovers is a triumph of imagination and reverence for the spirit that connects us across boundaries of time and geography. Translated from the Spanish by Caro De Robertis"

Laura Restrepo (Author), Sean Rohani (Narrator)

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The Best American Essays 2025

"A collection of the year’s best essays, selected by critically acclaimed author and essayist, Jia Tolentino. The Best American series, launched in 1915, is the premier annual showcase for the country’s finest short fiction and nonfiction, and it is the most respected—and most popular—of its kind. Jia Tolentino, critically acclaimed essayist, editor, and New Yorker staff writer, selects twenty essays out of thousands that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year."

Jia Tolentino, Kim Dana Kupperman (Author), Brittany Bradford, Jean Ann Douglass, Jensen Olaya, Rasha Zamamiri, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Sean Rohani (Narrator)

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For the Rest of Us: 13 Festive Holiday Stories to Celebrate All Seasons

"Fourteen acclaimed authors showcase the beautiful and diverse ways holidays are observed in this festive anthology. Keep the celebrations going all year long with this captivating and joyful read! From Lunar New Year to Solstice, Día de Los Muertos to Juneteenth, and all the incredible days in between, it’s clear that Americans don’t just have one holiday. Edited by the esteemed Dahlia Adler and authored by creators who have lived these festive experiences firsthand, this joyful collection of stories shows that there isn’t one way to experience a holiday. With stories by: Dahlia Adler, Sydney Taylor Honor winner of Going Bicoastal Candace Buford, author of Good as Gold A. R. Capetta and Cory McCarthy, authors of the Once & Future series Preeti Chhibber, author of Payal Mehta’s Romance Revenge Plot Natasha Díaz, award-winning author of Color Me In Kelly Loy Gilbert, Stonewall Book Award winning author of Picture Us in the Light Kosoko Jackson, USA Today bestselling author of The Forest Demands Its Due Aditi Khorana, award-winning author of Mirror in the Sky Katherine Locke, award-winning author of This Rebel Heart Abdi Nazemian, Stonewall Book Award–winning author of Only This Beautiful Moment Laura Pohl, New York Times bestselling author of The Grimrose Girls Sonora Reyes, Pura Belpré Honor winner of The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School Karuna Riazi, contributor to The Grimoire of Grim Fates "

A. R. Capetta, Abdi Nazemian, Aditi Khorana, Candace Buford, Cory McCarthy, Dahlia Adler, Karuna Riazi, Katherine Locke, Kelly Loy Gilbert, Kosoko Jackson, Laura Pohl, Natasha Diaz, Preeti Chhibber, Sonora Reyes (Author), Abby Manning, Dana Wing Lau, Gilli Messer, Karen Malina White, Mark Sanderlin, Natasha Chandel, Nile Bullock, Rebecca Mozo, Sean Rohani (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ancestors: Identity and DNA in the Levant

"An eye-opening investigation into ancestry and origins in the Middle East that synthesizes thousands of years of genetic history in the region to question what it means to be indigenous to any land "Ancestors transcends geography to launch an eye-opening inquiry into the relationship of genetics and identity. It's a transformational read for us all."-Jason Roberts, author of Every Living Thing and A Sense of the World In recent years, genetic testing has become easily available to consumers across the globe, making it relatively simple to find out where your ancestors came from. But what do these test results actually tell us about ourselves? In Ancestors, Pierre Zalloua, a leading authority on population genetics, argues that these test results have led to a dangerous oversimplification of what one's genetic heritage means. Genetic ancestry has become conflated with anthropological categories such as "origin," "ethnicity," and even "race" in spite of the complexities that underlie these concepts. And nowhere is this interplay more important and more controversial, Zalloua writes, than in the Levant-an ancient region known as one of the cradles of civilization and that now includes Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and parts of Turkey. Born in Lebanon, Zalloua grew up surrounded by people for whom the question of identity was a matter of life or death. Building on years of research, he tells a rich and compelling history of the Levant through the framework of genetics that spans from one hundred thousand years ago, when humans first left Africa, to the twenty-first century and modern nation-states. A timely, paradigm-shifting investigation into ancestry and origins in the Middle East, Ancestors ultimately reframes what it means to be indigenous to any land-urging us to reshape how we think about home, belonging, and where culture really comes from."

Pierre Zalloua (Author), Sean Rohani (Narrator)

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Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings

"The definitive translation by Dick Davis of the great national epic of Iran—now newly revised and expanded to be the most complete English-language edition Dick Davis—“our pre-eminent translator from the Persian” (The Washington Post)—has revised and expanded his acclaimed translation of Ferdowsi’s masterpiece, adding more than 100 pages of newly translated text. Davis’s elegant combination of prose and verse allows the poetry of the Shahnameh to sing its own tales directly, interspersed sparingly with clearly marked explanations to ease along modern audiences. Originally composed for the Samanid princes of Khorasan in the tenth century, the Shahnameh is among the greatest works of world literature. This prodigious narrative tells the story of pre-Islamic Persia, from the mythical creation of the world and the dawn of Persian civilization through the seventh-century Arab conquest. The stories of the Shahnameh are deeply embedded in Persian culture and beyond, as attested by their appearance in such works as The Kite Runner and the love poems of Rumi and Hafez. This audiobook is expertly read by Dick Davis, Nikki Massoud, and Sean Rohani with audio engineering by Blake Rook. It was produced and published by Echo Point Books & Media, an independent bookseller in Brattleboro, Vermont. Our sincere gratitude to the Parwiz Zafari fund at the Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies at Stanford University for their generous support in bringing this audio production to life. You can learn more about their work at iranianstudies.stanford.edu."

Abolqasem Ferdowsi (Author), Dick Davis, Nikki Massoud, Sean Rohani (Narrator)

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A Year with Rumi: Daily Readings

"A year with the sensual, mysterious, and deeply spiritual poetry of Rumi, in a translation featuring 15 debut poems—365 poems for your daily dose of inspiration, spiritual healing, and deep self-reflection This stunning collection is a divine journey across each month of the year, offering 365 daily poetry reflections that with leave you both breathless and hopeful. Poet Coleman Barks has played a central role in making the Sufi mystic Rumi the most popular poet in the world, and in this volume, he brings Rumi’s words to life, allowing their beacon of light to allow us to reconnect with ourselves, and others, by recognizing the divine in the sublime, in the ordinary, and in us all. Full of contemplation and deeply moving and profound prose, these poems allow readers to start each day fully present and aware of all the beauty around us, and the innate power and strength we each hold—in every moment of every day. Take a moment for yourself with this daily dose of innate wisdom and positive affirmations for self-love, compassion, and trust in the divine power of the universe and our place in it. “The poetry feels like it belongs to all. When Rumi died in 1273, members of all religions came to the funeral. Wherever you stand, his words deepen your connection to the mystery of being alive.” – Coleman Barks "

Coleman Barks (Author), Sean Rohani (Narrator)

Audiobook

I Will Greet the Sun Again

"Brought to you by Penguin. A searing, sunlit debut about the powerful bonds that make and break an Iranian-American family Three young brothers leave Los Angeles in the dead of night for Iran, taken by their father from their mother to a country and an ancestral home they barely recognize. They return to the Valley months later, spit back into American life and changed in inexorable ways. Under the dazzling light of the California sun, our protagonist, the youngest brother, begins to piece together a childhood shattered by his father's violence, a queer adolescence marked by a shy, secret love affair with a boy he meets on the basketball court, and his ever-changing status as a Muslim in America at the turn of the new millennium. Lyrical and open-hearted, I WILL GREET THE SUN AGAIN is an unforgettable portrait of a family being torn apart, and a boy emerging from its ashes. 'I WILL GREET THE SUN AGAIN is exquisite, heart-breaking, incredibly beautiful. The whole narrative thrums with a bright, warm longing. You can feel the sunshine of LA and Iran, the rhythm of Khashayar J Khabushani's voice. This is a novel to return to again and again.' Caleb Azumah Nelson, award-winning, bestselling author of OPEN WATER ©2023 Khashayar J. Khabushani (P)2023 Penguin Audio"

Khashayar J. Khabushani (Author), Sean Rohani (Narrator)

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Book of Queens: The True Story of the Middle Eastern Horsewomen Who Fought the War on Terror

"The untold story of generations of Middle Eastern freedom fighters-horsewomen who safeguarded an ancient breed of Caspian horse-and their efforts to defend their homelands from the Taliban and others seeking to destroy them."A breathtaking book that revisits nearly one hundred years of Iranian history, highlighting the power and beauty of women who refuse to be subdued." ―Alison Hawthorne Deming, author of A Woven World Book of Queens reaches back centuries to the Persian Empire and a woman disguised as a man, facing an invading army, protected only by light armor and the stallion she sat astride. Mahdavi draws a thread from past to present: from her fearless Iranian grandmother, who guided survivors of domestic violence to independent mountain colonies in Afghanistan where the women, led by a general named Mina, became their country's first line of defense from marauding warlords. To the female warriors who helped train and breed the horses used by US Green Berets when they touched down in October 2001, with a mission but insufficient intelligence on the ground-women whose contributions were then forgotten. Pardis Mahdavi chases the legacy of Caspian horses and the women whose lives are saved by them, drawing on decades of research, newly-discovered diaries, and exclusive military sources. Among those intersecting stories is that of American Louise Firouz, who helped bring the breed back from the brink of extinction, connecting Virginia traders to British royals to the son of the Shah. Firouz's life is forever changed when she meets Mahdavi's own family, who run an unusual smuggling operation in addition to raising horses in a wild bid for freedom. Book of Queens is an epic tale of hidden women whose communal knowledge was instrumental in saving an animal as ancient as civilization, and who were the genesis of their own liberation."

Pardis Mahdavi (Author), Nikki Massoud, Pardis Mahdavi, Sean Rohani, Shila Ommi, Sitara Attaie, Suzanne Toren (Narrator)

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Six Questions of Socrates: A Modern-Day Journey of Discovery through World Philosophy

"How people around the world grapple with the great questions posed by Socrates. What is virtue? What is moderation? What is justice? What is courage? What is good? What is piety? Socrates thought that understanding the perspectives of others on these six great questions would help him become a more excellent human being. Following in Socrates's footsteps, Christopher Phillips—'Johnny Appleseed with a master's degree' (Utne Reader)—investigates these same questions, beginning in the marketplace of modern-day Athens. He goes on to investigate the timely responses and outlooks of people from different cultures and backgrounds around the world: from Greece and Spain to Japan and Korea, Mexico City, and Chiapas, where the region's indigenous people struggle for fundamental human rights. Phillips also traveled throughout the United States, holding dialogues in diverse communities from New York City to the Navajo Nation. Introducing us to less familiar thinkers in non-Western traditions who were kindred spirits of Socrates, Phillips enlarges our perspectives on life's fundamental questions, creating an innovative world survey of philosophy. "

Christopher Phillips (Author), Sean Rohani (Narrator)

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Socrates in Love: Philosophy for a Die-hard Romantic

"A breakout book completing a trilogy of Socratic exploration by the inimitable Johnny Appleseed of philosophy. Christopher Phillips goes to the heart of philosophy and Socratic discourse to discover what we're all looking for: the kind of love that makes life worthwhile. Love here is not defined only or even primarily as eros, but in all its classic varietiesfrom love of family and love of neighbor to love of country, love of God, love of life, and love of wisdom. Phillips's explorations take us from New Orleans at Mardi Gras and the gambling dens of Las Vegas to the last evangelical revival presided over by Billy Graham. He talks with moms and dads about 'parent love,' with inmates of a maximum-security prison about 'unconditional love,' with Hurricane Katrina refugees and a family who took them in, and with Japanese seniors and schoolchildren in Hiroshima Peace Park. Throughout, he enriches his dialogues with commentary on the great philosophers of love from the ancients to Rumi to Ayn Rand and Anais Nin."

Christopher Phillips (Author), Sean Rohani (Narrator)

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Jackie & Me

"This "absolutely irresistible" historical romance imagines the courtship between Jacqueline Bouvier and the future American president she loved (People). In 1951, former debutante Jacqueline Bouvier is hard at work as the Inquiring Camera Girl for a Washington newspaper. Her mission in life is "not to be a housewife," but when she meets the charismatic congressman Jack Kennedy at a Georgetown party, her resolution begins to falter. Soon the two are flirting over secret phone calls, cocktails, and dinner dates, and as Jackie is drawn deeper into the Kennedy orbit, and as Jack himself grows increasingly elusive and absent, she begins to question what life at his side would mean. For answers, she turns to his best friend and confidant, Lem Billings, a closeted gay man who has made the Kennedy family his own, and who has been instructed by them to seal the deal with Jack's new girl. But as he gets to know her, a deep and touching friendship emerges, leaving him with painfully divided alliances and a troubling dilemma: Is this the marriage she deserves? Narrated by an older Lem as he looks back at his own role in a complicated alliance, this is a courtship story full of longing and of suspense, of what-ifs and possible wrong turns. It is a surprising look at Jackie before she was that Jackie. And in best-selling author Louis Bayard's witty and deeply empathetic telling, Jackie & Me is a page-turning story of friendship, love, sacrifice, and betrayal- and a fresh take on two iconic American figures."

Louis Bayard (Author), Sean Rohani (Narrator)

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Layli and Majnun

"The Persian epic that inspired Eric Clapton's unforgettable love song 'Layla' and that Lord Byron called 'the Romeo and Juliet of the East,' in a masterly new translation The iconic love story of the Middle East, by a twelfth-century Persian poet who has been compared to Shakespeare for his subtlety, inventiveness, and dramatic force, Layli and Majnun tells of star-crossed lovers whose union is tragically thwarted by their families and whose passion continues to ripple out across the centuries. Theirs is a love that lasts a lifetime, and in Nezami's immortal telling, erotic longing blends with spiritual self-denial in an allegory of Sufi aspiration, as the amenities of civilization give way to the elemental wilderness, desire is sublimated into a mystical renunciation of the physical world, and the soul confronts its essence. This is a tour de force of Persian literature, in a translation that captures the extraordinary power and virtuosity of the original. This audiobook includes a PDF that contains notes from the book."

Nezami Ganjavi (Author), Dick Davis, Peter Ganim, Sean Rohani, Serena Manteghi (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Sean Rohani