Fiona Sturges

Laverne Cox’s memoir recounts a childhood marked by hostility, abuse and ostracism in Alabama, her struggles with identity and survival, and a long, difficult pursuit of an acting career in New York. The book details her fraught relationship with her mother, experiences of violence and discrimination as a gender-nonconforming child, and the lasting impact of fear and shame. It also traces her resilience, artistic development and eventual success, presenting her life as a story of defiance, perseverance and triumph over adversity.

A new release of the 2006 audiobook of Homer’s Odyssey, based on Ian Johnston’s translation and narrated by Anton Lesser, is praised for its depth and vivid evocation of the epic’s gods, monsters and trials as Odysseus attempts to return home after the Trojan War. The review highlights key episodes involving Poseidon, Calypso and the turmoil in Ithaca as Penelope and Telemachus await Odysseus’s fate, presenting the audiobook as an imaginative and engaging way to experience the classic tale.