Audiobooks narrated by Debra Michaels

In Their Defence: Fighting for Youth Justice One Child at a Time

No new parent expects their offspring's childhood to be tainted by arrest or conviction. That only happens to other people's kids, right? Wrong. In this compelling book, written by one of Britain's top experts in youth justice, Aika Stephenson reveals the extraordinary cases she deals with daily. From the obviously vulnerable to the A-grade student from a stable upbringing, Just for Kids Law, the campaigning charity co-founded by Stephenson in 2007, has helped thousands of children and young people overcome the difficulties they face. Aika says: ‘Every day in my job is an adventure, a battle for justice, heart-breaking, and a joy. But very few people truly understand the law that dictates the lives of our young people, and I want to share that with the public – both the heart-warming successes and the shocking failures of the system.' From playground mischief to issues with immigration status, from housing to those facing years behind bars for a crime their friend committed, this book lays bare what really goes on behind the scenes, from the police station through to the young offenders' institution and everything in between. It is an important and revelatory book that confronts the issues that face all young people today.

Aika Stephenson (Author), Debra Michaels, TBD (Narrator)

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Windrush: 75 Years of Modern Britain

The oral history of Britain’s first West Indian immigrants and their descendants In 1948 the former troop ship Windrush made the 30-day journey across the Atlantic from Jamaica. The arrival of its 500 passengers, the first generation of Caribbean migrants in the UK, was the initial step in the formation of a new identity: the black Briton. Fifty years later, Mike and Trevor Phillips spoke to those on the Windrush itself, as well as those who followed, to tell the story of Britain in the second half of the twentieth century through the eyes of the outsiders who became insiders. Now updated to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the ship’s voyage and including reflections on its political and cultural legacy in 2023, Windrush is an essential record of this transformative era in British social history.

Mike Phillips, Trevor Phillips (Author), Ben Onwukwe, Cathy Tyson, Debra Michaels, Howard Saddler, Joel Trill (Narrator)

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The Marvellous Granny Jinks and Me: Animal Magic!

Join Jada and Granny Jinks in this charming new series for readers aged 6+! Gorgeously illustrated throughout by Selom Sunu, and brimming with warmth, tricks and magic, this is the perfect read for fans of The Naughtiest Unicorn and Wigglesbottom Primary! Granny Jinks and Jada have officially joined the Dalton Green Magic Society, but the fun has only just started! For their next trick, Granny Jinks and Jada will have to perform magic with the cheekiest assistant of them all - an animal! Will naughty Luna the cat learn her magic trick in time, and will Jada's best friend, Matilda, ever find the perfect pet for hers? Inspired by the true story of Jenny Mayers - the first Black woman to be accepted into the Magic Circle. *Includes how-to magic tricks for you to try at home!* With themes of finding courage, making friends, managing relationships at home, school and in the community, this is a wonderful new series for readers aged 6 and up!

Serena Holly (Author), Debra Michaels (Narrator)

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The Marvellous Granny Jinks and Me

Join Jada and Granny Jinks in this charming new series for readers aged 6+! Brimming with warmth, tricks and magic, perfect for fans of The Naughtiest Unicorn, Bad Nana and Wigglesbottom Primary! When Jada Jinks finds a box of magic tricks in her granny's flat, she uncovers her granny's SECRET dream of becoming a magician. Jada soon decides that she's going to help Granny Jinks fulfil her dreams, but one thing stands in her way - her dad, Jonny Jinks, who hates magic! Will Jada be able to help Granny Jinks pass the auditions for Dalton Green Magic Society, and will she learn some tricks of her own along the way? Inspired by the true story of Jenny Mayers - the first Black woman to be accepted into the Magic Circle. *Includes how-to magic tricks for you to try at home!* With themes of finding courage, making friends, managing relationships at home, school and in the community, this is a wonderful new series for readers aged 6 and up!

Serena Holly (Author), Debra Michaels (Narrator)

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Annie Beaton's Year of Positive Thinking

A laugh-out-loud, feelgood read for fans of Gill Sims, Sophie Ranald and Tracy Bloom by the author of The Pissed-off Parents Club and Just Another Manic Mum Day. It's Annie Beaton's 50th birthday! But instead of getting roses and perfume, she gets sacked; her son, Ben, tells her that she's growing a beard and her husband Joe tells her he wants a divorce. Moving to the countryside to stay in her eccentric aunt's house, Annie must find her mojo again - and fast. So when she discovers a stack of self-help books - from Chicken Soup for the Soul to The Secret - Annie vows to use their advice to get her life back on track. Armed with a bookshelf of positive vibes, Annie's determined to kick her Crappy Old Year to the kerb and have a brilliantly Happy New Year. Just as soon as she's had her chin waxed... - -

Mink Elliott (Author), Debra Michaels (Narrator)

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Soul Sisters

Soul Sisters by Lesley Lokko is a rich, intergenerational tale of love, race, power and secrets which centres on the lifelong friendship between two women: Scottish Jen McFadden and South African-born Kemisa Mashabane, known to her friends as Kemi. Since childhood, Jen and Kemi have lived like sisters in the McFadden family home in Edinburgh, brought together by a shared family history which stretches back generations. Kemi was educated in Britain alongside Jen and the girls could not be closer; nor could they be more different in the paths they take in life. But the ties that bind them are strong and complicated, and a dark family secret exists in their joint history. Solam Rhoyi is from South Africa’s black political elite. Handsome, charismatic, charming, and a successful young banker, he meets both Kemi and Jen on a trip to London and sweeps them off their feet. Partly influenced by her interest in Solam, and partly on a journey of self-discovery, Kemi, now 31, decides to return to the country of her birth for the first time. Jen, seeking an escape from her father’s overbearing presence, decides to go with her. In Johannesburg, it becomes clear that Solam is looking for the perfect wife to facilitate his soaring political ambitions. But who will he choose? All the while, the real story behind the two families’ connection threatens to reveal itself – with devastating consequences . . .

Lesley Lokko (Author), Debra Michaels (Narrator)

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Segu: Penguin Modern Classics

Brought to you by Penguin. Winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize for Literature 2018 The bestselling epic novel of family, treachery, rivalry, religious fervour and the turbulent fate of a royal African dynasty It is 1797 and the African kingdom of Segu, born of blood and violence, is at the height of its power. Yet Dousika Traore, the king's most trusted advisor, feels nothing but dread. Change is coming. From the East, a new religion, Islam. From the West, the slave trade. These forces will tear his country, his village and the lives of his beloved sons apart, in Maryse Condé's glittering epic. 'Maryse Condé is an extraordinary storyteller who brings the history of an African kingdom alive as vividly as if it existed today. . . This is a great novel: unputdownable and unforgettable' Bernardine Evaristo 'Rich and colorful and glorious. It sprawls over continents and centuries to find its way into the reader's heart' - Maya Angelou 'A stunning reaffirmation of Africa and its peoples... It's a starburst' - John A. Williams © Maryse Condé 1984 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Maryse Condé (Author), Debra Michaels (Narrator)

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The End of Men

'A FIERCELY INTELLIGENT PAGE-TURNER' PAULA HAWKINS 'WRITTEN PRE-COVID - GRIPPING, SCARY AND PERSUASIVE' IAN RANKIN 'THE STUFF THAT CLASSICS ARE MADE OF' A.J. FINN 'GRIPPING AND BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN. WHAT A DEBUT!' SARAH PEARSE, author of The Sanatorium 'BRILLIANT, PRESCIENT, UNPUTDOWNABLE' JENNY COLGAN 'AN ENGROSSING DEBUT' STYLIST 'HUGE IN SCOPE...AS TENSE AS THE TAUTEST THRILLER' RED 'THE MOST BUZZED-ABOUT FICTION FOR 2021' SUNDAY TIMES STYLE 'AN UNFLINCHINGLY PACY MUST-READ' GRAZIA 'AN UNFORGETTABLE DEBUT'PRIMA GLASGOW, 2025. Dr Amanda Maclean is called to treat a young man with a mild fever. Within three hours he dies. The mysterious illness sweeps through the hospital with deadly speed. This is how it begins. The victims are all men. Dr Maclean raises the alarm, but the sickness spreads to every corner of the globe. Threatening families. Governments. Countries. Can they find a cure before it's too late? Will this be the story of the end of the world - or its salvation? Compelling, confronting and devastating, The End of Men is the novel that everyone is talking about. 'A POWERFUL, GRIPPING BOOK THAT HAS MADE ME FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER ABOUT THE WORLD WE ARE LIVING IN RIGHT NOW' BRYONY GORDON 'FRIGHTENINGLY PRESCIENT... A COMPELLING, MOVING AND INTELLIGENT PAGE-TURNER' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'A TOUR DE FORCE - A FEMINIST REIMAGINING OF SOCIETY' GILLIAN MCALLISTER 'COMPELLING AND HEART-BREAKING. A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT' ABI DARÉ 'PACY, EMOTIVE, THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND ULTIMATELY A REMINDER OF THE STRENGTH OF LOVE AND HUMAN CONNECTION' C.D. MAJOR 'A REMARKABLY PRESCIENT, WHIP-SMART, AND STRANGELY HOPEFUL NOVEL' CHARLOTTE PHILBY 'DEVASTATING, PRESCIENT, COMPELLING AND CONFRONTING' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS 'GRIPPING, MOVING AND SCARILY PRESCIENT. COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN' CHARLOTTE NORTHEDGE, AUTHOR OF THE HOUSE GUEST 'MOVING, THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND TERRIFYINGLY PRESCIENT' TAMMY COHEN 'TOPICAL, TIMELY, IMAGINATIVE AND ULTIMATELY HOPEFUL' KATIE KHAN, AUTHOR OF HOLD BACK THE STARS 'AN INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT - BOTH A BREATH-TAKING FEAT OF IMAGINATION AND A WISE, STEADY EYE ON THE WORLD AS IT IS' JESSICA MOOR, AUTHOR OF THE KEEPER

Christina Sweeney-Baird (Author), Aysha Kala, Cathleen Mccarron, Debra Michaels, Denica Fairman, Julia Locascio, Penelope Rawlins, Rebecca Perfect, Robert Bradley, Sara Lynam, Sasha Alexis, William Hope (Narrator)

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Revolutions: How They Changed History and What They Mean Today

Revolutions hold a distinct place in the popular imagination. This may be because their rhetoric, such as 'liberty, fraternity, equality', articulates aspirations with which we identify; or because we are shocked by the destructive forces unleashed when social conventions break down. Yet each revolution is unique - a product of its time, its society, its people - and the outcomes vary dramatically, from liberal reform to cruel dictatorship. Twenty-four leading historians, each writing about their country of origin, consider revolutions from England's Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the Arab Spring of 2011, reflecting not only on their causes, crises and outcomes, but also their long-term legacies and their changing, sometimes contested, meanings today. They reflect on key questions, such as: What were the reasons for the revolution? What were the main events and dominant ideologies, and who were the leading protagonists? How is it considered today and what is its ideological legacy? Whether as inspiration or warning, the legacies of these revolutions are not only important to those interested in protest, political change and the power of the people but also impact on virtually every one of us today. Introduction ©2020 Peter Furtado Text edited by Peter Furtado

Peter Furtado (Author), Debra Michaels, Peter Furtado, Philip Bretherton (Narrator)

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The Mother and Baby Home: A festive, warm-hearted new novel from the Queen of Family Saga

A warm and charming new saga by Sheila Newberry, author of The Nursemaid's Secret and The Winter Baby, set in post-war London. Perfect for fans of Call the Midwife. The ideal book to get cosy with this Christmas. Sunny grew in the mother and baby home on Grove Lane, London. The daughter of a wartime nurse and a Polish pilot, she was abandoned by her mother shortly after her birth and taken in by Nan, the warm and gentle proprietor of the home. Never having known her parents, Sunny has always felt like she doesn't quite fit in, but now at sixteen-years-old, she is ready to find her place in the world. Heading out to start her first job, she finally feels she has some idea of who she wants to be. As 1950s post-war London is changing at a rapid pace, so is Sunny. And when someone from her past returns, Sunny has some tough decisions to make. Decisions that could affect the rest of her life . . . Praise for Sheila Newberry 'The Forget-Me-Not Girl is a drama-packed and emotional saga full of nostalgia, warmth and charm.' The Lancashire Post 'So gloriously nostalgic . . . a perfect example of her talent.' Maureen Lee, bestselling author of The Seven Streets of Liverpool 'Like having dinner with your mother in her warm and cosy kitchen.' Diane Allen, bestselling author of For the Sake of Her Family

Sheila Newberry (Author), Debra Michaels (Narrator)

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Homecoming: Voices of the Windrush Generation

Brought to you by Penguin. When Colin Grant was growing up in Luton in the 1960s, he learned not to ask his Jamaican parents why they had emigrated to Britain. 'We're here because we're here,' his father would say. 'You have some place else to go?' But now, seventy years after the arrival of ships such as the Windrush, this generation of pioneers are ready to tell their stories. Homecoming draws on over a hundred first-hand interviews, archival recordings and memoirs by the women and men who came to Britain from the West Indies between the late 1940s and the early 1960s. In their own words, we witness the transition from the optimism of the first post-war arrivals to the race riots of the late 1950s. We hear from nurses in Manchester; bus drivers in Bristol; seamstresses in Birmingham; teachers in Croydon; dockers in Cardiff; inter-racial lovers in High Wycombe, and Carnival Queens in Leeds. These are stories of hope and regret, of triumphs and challenges, brimming with humour, anger and wisdom. Together, they reveal a rich tapestry of Caribbean British lives. Homecoming is an unforgettable portrait of a generation, which brilliantly illuminates an essential and much-misunderstood chapter of our history. (c) 2019, Colin Grant (P) 2019 Penguin Audio

Colin Grant (Author), Colin Grant, Debra Michaels, John Sackville, Kristin Atherton, Leemore Marrett, Leemore Marriott (Narrator)

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It's a Wonderful Life

A sparkling new Christmas novel from Julia WilliamsIt's Christmas, and Beth King is preparing to spend it in the bosom of her family, doing the same things they have done since time immemorial: arguing with each other, stuffing themselves silly, putting up with Grandad making them watch the Queen, and having the Family Row by teatime.Despite having children of their own, Beth and her husband Daniel have never quite managed to escape the horrors of the Holroyd family Christmas. Beth's mother Mary would never countenance anyone else cooking the turkey. So the family traditions have stuck . . .But this year, things are going to be just a little bit different. For a start, Beth's brother, bachelor Ged, appears to have a girlfriend in tow. A very pregnant girlfriend. And her sister Lou, whose car-crash love life could be a boilerplate for every soap opera going, has turned up in floods having been ditched on Christmas Eve - again. Meanwhile Beth, who has spent years trying to maintain the façade of one completely in control, is facing up to the fact that she has no idea how to deal with either her teenage children or her over-stressed husband. And her hitherto successful picture-book career seems to be on the skids as she tries to get to grips with her newest project, a Christmas book entitled The Littlest Angel.As the family gather for Christmas Day, childhood tensions resurface, the teenagers bicker, and Beth wishes more than ever that she could hide away and forget the festive season once and for all. And that's before her parents drop their bombshell . . .

Julia Williams (Author), Debra Michaels (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Debra Michaels