Audiobooks by Susan Kuklin

In Search of Safety: Voices of Refugees Audiobook

Five refugees recount their courageous journeys to America — and the unimaginable struggles that led them to flee their homelands — in a powerful work from the author of Beyond Magenta and We Are Here to Stay. “From 1984, when I was born, until July 16, 2017, when I arrived in the United States, I never lived in a place where there was no war.” — Fraidoon An Iraqi woman who survived capture by ISIS. A Sudanese teen growing up in civil war and famine. An Afghan interpreter for the U.S. Army living under threat of a fatwa. They are among the five refugees who share their stories in award-winning author and photographer Susan Kuklin’s latest masterfully crafted narrative. The five, originally from Afghanistan, Myanmar, South Sudan, Iraq, and Burundi, give gripping first-person testimonies about what it is like to flee war, face violent threats, grow up in a refugee camp, be sold into slavery, and resettle in America. This work is essential reading for understanding the devastating impact of war and persecution — and the power of resilience, optimism, and the will to survive.

Susan Kuklin (Author), Deepti Gupta, Josh Bloomberg, Vivienne Leheny (Narrator)

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We Are Here to Stay: Voice of Undocumented Young Adults

The Stonewall Honor–winning author of Beyond Magenta shares the intimate, eye-opening stories of nine undocumented young adults living in America. “Maybe next time they hear someone railing about how terrible immigrants are, they'll think about me. I’m a real person.” Meet nine courageous young adults who have lived in the United States with a secret for much of their lives: they are not U.S. citizens. They came from Colombia, Mexico, Ghana, Independent Samoa, and Korea. They came seeking education, fleeing violence, and escaping poverty. All have heartbreaking and hopeful stories about leaving their homelands and starting a new life in America. And all are weary of living in the shadows. We Are Here to Stay is a very different book than it was intended to be when originally slated for a 2017 release, illustrated with Susan Kuklin’s gorgeous full-color portraits. Since the last presidential election and the repeal of DACA, it is no longer safe for these young adults to be identified in photographs or by name. Their photographs have been replaced with empty frames, and their names are represented by first initials. We are honored to publish these enlightening, honest, and brave accounts that encourage open, thoughtful conversation about the complexities of immigration — and the uncertain future of immigrants in America.

Susan Kuklin (Author), Almarie Guerra, Emily Woo Zeller, Frankie Corzo, Jd Jackson, Laura Jennings, Lauren Ezzo, Marcus Stewart, Scott Merriman, Timothy Andrés Pabon (Narrator)

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Beyond Magenta

“I’ve always loved my body, and now I love it even more because it fits how I feel.” — Jessy “Learn your pronouns because I don’t want to have to slap somebody tonight.” — Christina “Transition? Everyone goes through one kind of transition or another. We go through transitions every day. Except mine is maybe a little more extreme.” — Mariah “Being trans is not the next step to being gay. They are similar in that they are both breaking gender rules.” — Cameron “When people say I look male or female, it messes up my head.” — Nat “My family was okay with me being gay, but trans was a different issue for them. I think a lot of it was because they had no experience with it.” — Luke In Beyond Magenta, six teens tell what it is like for them to be members of the transgender community.

Susan Kuklin (Author), Janina Edwards, Marisol Ramirez, Nancy Wu, Nick Podehl, Roxanne Hernandez, Susan Kuklin, Tanya Eby, Todd Haberkorn (Narrator)

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No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row

Imagine having everything taken away from you-permanently-with no hope of resuming a normal life. This is the case for many teenagers in America who are tried and convicted as adults for the crime of murder. Here Susan Kuklin takes you behind bars for frank interviews with a collection of young men who will spend the better part of their lives in jail. She lets them speak for themselves, providing the raw details of their incarceration and the anger, despair, and surprising hope they experience every day. Kuklin also provides an in-depth look at the American penal system, highlighting its many intricacies and inequities while focusing on capital cases involving juveniles. Chosen by School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews as a Best Book, No Choirboy is an honest examination of a pervasive problem in America. A full cast of Recorded Books narrators captures each of these unique voices for a powerful audio experience. "Searing and provocative."-Booklist "An eye-opening account."-Horn Book Magazine, starred review

Susan Kuklin (Author), Ali Ahn, Chris Sorensen, Ezra Knight, Lizan Mitchell, Nyambi Nyambi, Peter Jay Fernandez, Steve Boyer, Suzanne Toren, Ty Jones (Narrator)

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