Audiobook Sample
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- Title: American History Stories, Volume 1
- Author: Mara L. Pratt
- Narrator: Kalynda
- Length: 02:58:24
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 01/12/2016
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Genre: Kids, Non-Fiction
- ISBN13: SABLIB9787357
There’s something magical about hearing history told as a story – the way voices can transport us across centuries, making the past feel as vivid as the desert sun or as intimate as a grandmother’s fireside tale. That’s exactly what I found in “American History Stories, Volume 1” by Mara L. Pratt, narrated by Kalynda. This audiobook, available for free through LibriVox, offers a fascinating window into how late 19th-century America wanted its children to understand their national origins.
Listening to Kalynda’s warm, measured narration took me back to my own childhood in New Mexico, where my abuelita would spin tales of our ancestors alongside textbook histories. Pratt’s work occupies a similar space – part educational tool, part cultural artifact – blending the Norsemen’s sagas, Columbus’s voyages, and Revolutionary War heroics into digestible narratives for young minds. The prose has that distinctive Victorian rhythm, both formal and conversational, like a schoolmarm sharing secrets between lessons.
Kalynda’s performance deserves special praise. She navigates Pratt’s occasionally archaic language (‘thee’ and ‘thou’ appear with Puritan regularity) with clarity and just enough dramatic flair to keep younger listeners engaged. Her pacing is deliberate but never dull – I particularly enjoyed how she handled the battle scenes, letting the tension build like a drumroll. It reminded me of those Oaxacan storytelling nights where every pause held meaning. That said, modern ears might notice the narration lacks the sonic richness of professional studio productions (this being a volunteer LibriVox recording), but there’s an authenticity here that fits the material.
The content itself is where things get ethically interesting. Pratt’s 1880s perspective – glorifying European ‘discovery’ while marginalizing Indigenous perspectives – requires context. Hearing passages about ‘savage Indians’ or unquestioned colonial righteousness felt like unearthing a time capsule, equal parts fascinating and uncomfortable. As someone who’s documented oral histories from Navajo elders, I winced at the omissions. Yet this very datedness makes the audiobook valuable: it demonstrates how history gets mythologized. The patriotic fervor (every Revolutionary soldier is a paragon of virtue) reveals more about post-Civil War nation-building than about 1776.
Compared to modern children’s histories like “A Young People’s History of the United States”, Pratt’s work feels like examining the skeleton before the flesh was added. The bones are here – key events, famous figures – but without critical analysis or diverse voices. That doesn’t mean it’s without merit. For families or educators, this could spark conversations about how stories shape our understanding of truth. Pair it with Joseph Bruchac’s “Our Stories Remember” for balance.
Technically, the LibriVox production is clean though basic. The audio lacks professional polish (occasional page-turn sounds, slight variations in tone), but this grassroots quality oddly suits the material. At just under 3 hours, it’s digestible for car rides or classroom segments. And you can’t argue with free – this is public-domain storytelling at its most accessible.
Would I recommend it? With caveats. As pure entertainment, it’s charmingly old-fashioned. As education, it’s a starting point requiring supplementation. But as a lens into America’s evolving relationship with its past? Absolutely fascinating. Listen to hear how history becomes legend, and perhaps – like me – you’ll find yourself pondering which of today’s ‘certainties’ will seem quaint to future generations.
With ears always tuned to the stories beneath the stories,
Marcus Rivera
