Highly recommending Listen Mama by M.S.P. Williams, a moving memoir narrated by JD Jackson and a 2022 Audie Awards finalist
Hello again, dear audiobooks friends! Today I’m really happy to draw your attention to Listen Mama, a heartbreaking and moving coming-of-age story written by M.S.P. Williams about a teenager struggling to cope with life and, at the same time, to accept the mental illness issues of his mother.
The audiobook is narrated by audiobooks industry legend and Golden Voice JD Jackson and it has a run time of almost 8 hours. Besides that, Listen Mama comes highly recommended, as it had received a very good reception from literary publications and reviewers alike.
Also, something even more impressive – Listen Mama is a finalist for the 2022 Audie Awards for Best Audiobook Memoir.
Below you can find out more about the story from the Publisher’s Summary and also make the acquaintance of our esteemed author and narrator:
Through a series of heart-breaking and poignant letters, come explore the 20-year journey of a child longing for the love of his mentally ill mother while facing seemingly insurmountable odds. Witness Manny’s transformation in this coming of age story of a forgotten and disfigured child, born into spirit-crushing poverty in Houston, Texas, and thrust into adulthood all too soon.
Crying out to the world for understanding and forgiveness, Manny battles the silent and treacherous enemy of mental illness in his mother’s often erratic and sometimes terrifying behavior as he ultimately becomes her caretaker and guardian while also parenting his four younger siblings.
Experience this inspirational soon-to-be modern classic of loss, faith, love, and redemption that is guaranteed to bring forth both tears and laughter, heartache and happiness, as it captures your imagination, ignites your soul, and soon has you resisting to pause, breathlessly waiting to discover what happens next.
M.S.P. Williams was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He is a graduate of The University of Houston with a B.S. degree in Political Science. He relocated to the West Coast with his wife in 2013 where they share a combined love of travel, movies, sports, and doing their small part to make the world a much better place.
His memoir, Listen Mama is a 2022 Audie Awards Finalist for Best Audiobook Memoir. Reviews have described it accordingly:
- “As dramatic as it is heartbreaking.” –Kirkus Reviews
- “Even though the book has heartbreak, it has happiness and humor. YA readers will love this moving memoir.” –ReaderViews, Reviewer’s Choice Silver Award
- “LISTEN MAMA authentically details the sliding scale of hopes and frustration.” –IndieReader, Starred review
- “Warmly likable man doing his utmost to struggle through more tragedy and bad luck than any human being should be handed.” –BookLife Reviews
- “Young adult (and many an adult) readers will find LISTEN MAMA a thoroughly absorbing story.” –Midwest Book Review
- “A devastating coming-of-age memoir about the impact of a mother’s mental illness on her son.” — Clarion Foreword Reviews
JD Jackson is a theater professor, aspiring stage director, and Audie award-winning narrator who has recorded over 300 audiobook titles by such authors as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Carl Sagan, Ernest J. Gaines, John Grisham, Eric Foner, Colson Whitehead & John Meachem.
He’s won several “Earphone Awards,” and in 2020 was inducted into AudioFile Magazine’s Golden Voices Hall of Fame. He also voiced two 2020 Pulitzer Prize winning books – The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead and The Tradition by Jericho Brown.
I already started listening to Listen Mama last night – it’s something special and the narration is great! I will return very soon with a full review, but until then take care, stay safe, and don’t forget, always listen with your heart!
If you like this article, please consider sharing it with your friends on Social Media. Thank you!
I also post reviews or articles at the author, narrator, or publisher’s request, so, if you are in need of assistance in finding the perfect narrator for your book or just want to have a review on my blog, do get in touch.
If you want to support my work here, please consider subscribing to one of the services highlighted below. Each of them comes with a 30 Days Free Trial and offer great advantages in the entertainment area.
- Audible Free Trial – one Free Audiobook, plus Free Audible Originals every month
- Amazon Prime – Free Delivery, Exclusive Deals, Prime Video and Prime Music included
- Kindle Unlimited – enjoy unlimited access to over a million titles on any device, Exclusive Deals, plus upgrades to Audiobook versions at great prices
- Prime Video – Award-winning Amazon Studios Original series like Bosch, The Man in the High Castle, and many others
- Prime Music – Unlimited Access to 60 million songs
Victor Dima
Latest posts by Victor Dima (see all)
- Award-winning author Julie Ryan McGue releases her memoir Twice the Family as an audiobook performed by Katie Hagaman - February 16, 2026
- Review: Tokyo Juku by Michael Pronko, performed by Peter Berkrot – Editor’s Choice Award for Excellence in Entertainment - February 11, 2026
- Review: Pendergast: The Beginning by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, performed by Jefferson Mays - January 28, 2026
