Unbowed

The memoir of this 2004 Nobel Peace Prize recipient is a testament not just to this woman's achievements, but to the idea that even a grassroots movement can garner international attention. Attaining a doctorate when few in her country received basic education, Maathai further challenged Kenyan patriarchy by starting an environmental movement--woman by woman, village by village. Chinasa Ogbuagu gives an outstanding narration. Her accented English gives her credibility, and she sounds like she is speaking rather than performing. In hearing Maathai's story, the listener experiences a gamut of emotions, but sadness predominates. Not maudlin, these are feelings that stir one to awareness and possibly action. Ogbuagu's nuanced presentation makes this audiobook as uplifting as it is informative. P.R. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine