The Silver Swan

Donna Postel does a satisfying narration of this biography of Doris Duke (1912-1993). For a woman who led such a glittering life, Bingham's account is pretty dull. As skillful narrators do, Postel steps up. Because she sounds interested in her subject, listeners become engaged. Born into American social royalty, Duke inherited millions from her father, a tobacco tycoon; rubbed shoulders with governors, presidents, movie stars, and gangsters; and lived the luxurious life you'd expect of "the richest woman in the world." Even so, Bingham's account feels incomplete. While attention is paid to Duke's philanthropy, the information about her personal life lacks substance. Postel's textured reading keeps the few personal revelations about Duke's relationships with the famous and infamous from sounding like name-dropping. S.J.H. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine