Play Audiobook Sample
Unbowed: A Memoir Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.01) - 1,318 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
NOBEL PRIZE WINNER • Hurston/Wright Legacy Award
A remarkable memoir of courage, faith, and the power of persistence about one woman’s extraordinary journey from her childhood in rural Kenya to the world stage.
In Unbowed, Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai recounts her extraordinary life. When Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, she began a vital poor people’s environmental movement, focused on the empowerment of women, that soon spread across Africa. Persevering through run-ins with the Kenyan government and personal losses, and jailed and beaten on numerous occasions, Maathai continued to fight tirelessly to save Kenya’s forests and to restore democracy to her beloved country.
“[Maathai’s] story provides uplifting proof of the power of perseverance—and of the power of principled, passionate people to change their countries and inspire the world.”—The Washington Post
Download and start listening now!
"i wonder why i didn't like her writing as much as i wanted to. i can understand boundaries, but sometimes she would mention her children and then at the next mentioning, they were living with their father for an extended period of time. i guess i just wanted them in or out, but not in this weird limbo land because that made me want to know a lot more about maathai as a mother in addition to her as an activist. oh well. her stories are amazing and this book was a good compliment to the documentary i saw about her at a film fest in brattleboro, vt. last winter. finally, i feel like this book helped me understand pieces of what's going on in kenya right now that the press isn't talking about at all - government involvement in tribal violence."
— Annie (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Gripping, honest, and beautifully written—a gripping account of modern Africa’s trials and triumphs.”
— President Bill Clinton
Unbowed Listener Reviews
-
—
Yuvaan Rathod, 9/28/2025
-
" I think that what she does is amazing and inspiring, esp. as a plant person, but it was a hard read for me and I can't really pinpoint why. "
— Penny, 2/18/2014 -
" Wangari Maathai plants trees and gets in trouble. Born in 1940 in a village in Kenya, she is the daughter of an illiterate mother in a country where many, especially females, were not literate. But the world is changing and Wangari gets a golden opportunity to attend school -- it propels her into the future and we are all beneficiaries. This Nobel Prize winner has a story worth reading. I predict that you will remember her and feel inspired. "
— Kristine, 2/6/2014 -
" Fantastic! It's amazing what Wangari Maathai has managed to accomplish in her short life and through such hardship. She is a true inspiration to all. It really puts things in perspective to assess the struggles of Wangari and her fellow countrymen and the minor issues we deal with in our privileged society. "
— Suzanne, 1/25/2014 -
" I think this is the longest it has ever taken for me to read a book. A lot has changed since I started it--new job, new house, a fiance--but I'm glad I stuck with it. Wangari's story really is amazing. "
— Abby, 1/23/2014 -
" Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai is the featured speaker on Senior Day at Vanderbilt University next month, the day before a certain someone I know also will be receiving his diploma! "
— Ann, 1/19/2014 -
" This is a marvelous read! I read it so long ago, that I don't have more to say other than it is inspirational. "
— Susy, 12/7/2013 -
" A slower but educational interesting read "
— Debbie, 11/29/2013 -
" Bit difficult to understand/comprehend sometimes because it is a direct translations. However, Wangari Maathai is such an inspiration to all people, especially women :) "
— Megan, 9/22/2013 -
" Offers contemporary perspective on Kenya's development -- political, post-colonial as well as environmental -- since indpendence. Matthai doesn't skirt around the legacies of colonialism, racism and sexism. "
— Chad, 8/18/2013 -
" amazing woman and an amazing story. her writing style took a bit of getting used to though. "
— Caitrin, 4/29/2013 -
" A marvel of a book by a marvel of a woman. One of my heroes. "
— Linda, 6/3/2012 -
" An epic story of the life of a remarkable woman. A deep insight of her home country, Kenya, its history from colonial times to today, and the struggles of women in Africa. "
— Gabriela, 3/9/2012 -
" eh. she makes me feel tired. "
— *nicole*, 12/16/2011 -
" Wangari Maathai is an inspiring woman and writes an interesting autobiography. She has overcome political oppression, sexism, and personal strife to win the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the Green Belt movement in Kenya. I highly recommend this book. "
— Sarah, 8/7/2010 -
" A very moving memoir. Wangari is a special woman and very inspiring. I am so glad I got to read about her through one of my Women's Studies courses otherwise I might not have read the book. "
— ♥Meagan♥, 4/8/2010
About Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai is the founder of the Green Belt Movement and the first woman to earn a doctorate in biology in East Africa. A recipient of numerous awards for her work on environmental and social issues, in 2004, she was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. She lives in Nairobi, Kenya.
About Chinasa Ogbuagu
Chinasa Ogbuagu is a voice and television actor known for her roles in Fringe, The Following, and Nurse Jackie. Her voice-over credits include Unbowed, The Challenge for Africa, and The Sacred Place.