
Burro Genius
A Memoir
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $21.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Robert Fass
About this listen
When Victor Villaseñor stood at the podium and looked at the group of teachers amassed before him, he became enraged. He had never spoken in public before. His mind was flooded with childhood memories filled with humiliation, misunderstanding, and abuse at the hands of his teachers. With his heart pounding, he began to speak of these incidents. To his disbelief, the teachers before him responded to his embittered recollection with a standing ovation. Many could not contain their own tears.
So begins a touching memoir of an extremely angry adolescent. Highly gifted and imaginative, Villaseñor coped with an untreated learning disability (he was finally diagnosed with extreme dyslexia at the age of 44) and the frustration he felt growing up Latino in an English-only American school system that had neither the cultural understanding nor the resources to deal with Hispanic students.
Often beaten by his teachers because he could not speak English, Villaseñor was made to feel ashamed about his heritage, and even questioned the core values prioritized by his tight-knit family. Villaseñor's dyslexia, and growing frustration over not fitting in, fueled his dream to one day become a writer. He is now considered one of the premier writers of our time.
©2004 Victor Villaseñor (P)2019 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
Wild Steps of Heaven
- By: Victor Villaseñor
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Victor Villaseñor creates a powerful, moving protrait of his father's family - the Villaseñors - who in their courage and love of life represent the whole passionate history of Mexico. An epic portrait of Mexico is painted as this spellbinding story of madness and miracles, rage and redemption, unfolds.
-
-
Not an authentic Spanish-speaking narrator.
- By Blanca P on 04-27-18
-
Rain of Gold
- By: Victor Villaseñor
- Narrated by: Johnny Rey Diaz
- Length: 30 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rain of Gold is a true-life saga of love, family and destiny that pulses with bold vitality, sweeping from the war-ravaged Mexican mountains of Pancho Villa's revolution to the days of Prohibition in California.
-
-
Thank you Victor again!
- By cynthia g on 09-24-20
-
Problem Child
- By: Terrell Carter, Stacy Thunes
- Narrated by: Terrell Carter
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Problem Child is the unbelievably true story of Terrell Carter, an American musician and actor who grew up in Buffalo, New York, in a dysfunctional family, each member crazier than the next. And the Problem Child is the only one in the story who may, or may not, actually have a problem. An emotional journey of trials and revelations, with a huge secret at its core, this story may force you to laugh - just to keep from crying.
-
-
Worth the wait . . .
- By JPALJ on 12-07-22
By: Terrell Carter, and others
-
Assata
- By: Assata Shakur, Angela Davis - foreword
- Narrated by: Sirena Riley
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2013 Assata Shakur, founding member of the Black Liberation Army, former Black Panther and godmother of Tupac Shakur, became the first ever woman to make the FBI's most wanted list. Assata Shakur's trial and conviction for the murder of a white State Trooper in the spring of 1973 divided America. Her case quickly became emblematic of race relations and police brutality in the USA. While Assata's detractors continue to label her a ruthless killer, her defenders cite her as the victim of a systematic, racist campaign.
-
-
Knowledge is power
- By Ashleigh Terry on 08-20-17
By: Assata Shakur, and others
-
Essays
- By: George Orwell
- Narrated by: Alex Hyde-White
- Length: 25 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With great originality and wit, Orwell unfolds his views on subjects ranging from a revaluation of Charles Dickens to the nature of Socialism, from a comic yet profound discussion of naughty seaside postcards to a spirited defense of English cooking. Displaying an almost unrivalled mastery of English plain prose, Orwell’s essays created a unique literary manner from the process of thinking aloud and continue to challenge, move, and entertain.
-
-
Great Content; Would benefit from chapter names
- By Laimis on 08-15-20
By: George Orwell
-
The Last Crocodile Hunter
- By: Bob Irwin, Amanda French
- Narrated by: David Tredinnick
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bob Irwin's extraordinary life as a wildlife pioneer, father to wildlife warrior Steve and founder of Australia Zoo, told in his own words. Bob Irwin grew up in the Dandenong Ranges, where his passion for wildlife was born. A near-death experience while working as a plumber made Bob realise he needed to follow his dreams, so he and his wife, Lyn, moved their young family to Queensland, where they opened a wildlife park on the Sunshine Coast. The Irwin children grew up in around the Beerwah Reptile and Wildlife Park....
-
-
Great story!
- By Amazon Customer on 01-06-22
By: Bob Irwin, and others
-
Wild Steps of Heaven
- By: Victor Villaseñor
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Victor Villaseñor creates a powerful, moving protrait of his father's family - the Villaseñors - who in their courage and love of life represent the whole passionate history of Mexico. An epic portrait of Mexico is painted as this spellbinding story of madness and miracles, rage and redemption, unfolds.
-
-
Not an authentic Spanish-speaking narrator.
- By Blanca P on 04-27-18
-
Rain of Gold
- By: Victor Villaseñor
- Narrated by: Johnny Rey Diaz
- Length: 30 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rain of Gold is a true-life saga of love, family and destiny that pulses with bold vitality, sweeping from the war-ravaged Mexican mountains of Pancho Villa's revolution to the days of Prohibition in California.
-
-
Thank you Victor again!
- By cynthia g on 09-24-20
-
Problem Child
- By: Terrell Carter, Stacy Thunes
- Narrated by: Terrell Carter
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Problem Child is the unbelievably true story of Terrell Carter, an American musician and actor who grew up in Buffalo, New York, in a dysfunctional family, each member crazier than the next. And the Problem Child is the only one in the story who may, or may not, actually have a problem. An emotional journey of trials and revelations, with a huge secret at its core, this story may force you to laugh - just to keep from crying.
-
-
Worth the wait . . .
- By JPALJ on 12-07-22
By: Terrell Carter, and others
-
Assata
- By: Assata Shakur, Angela Davis - foreword
- Narrated by: Sirena Riley
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2013 Assata Shakur, founding member of the Black Liberation Army, former Black Panther and godmother of Tupac Shakur, became the first ever woman to make the FBI's most wanted list. Assata Shakur's trial and conviction for the murder of a white State Trooper in the spring of 1973 divided America. Her case quickly became emblematic of race relations and police brutality in the USA. While Assata's detractors continue to label her a ruthless killer, her defenders cite her as the victim of a systematic, racist campaign.
-
-
Knowledge is power
- By Ashleigh Terry on 08-20-17
By: Assata Shakur, and others
-
Essays
- By: George Orwell
- Narrated by: Alex Hyde-White
- Length: 25 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With great originality and wit, Orwell unfolds his views on subjects ranging from a revaluation of Charles Dickens to the nature of Socialism, from a comic yet profound discussion of naughty seaside postcards to a spirited defense of English cooking. Displaying an almost unrivalled mastery of English plain prose, Orwell’s essays created a unique literary manner from the process of thinking aloud and continue to challenge, move, and entertain.
-
-
Great Content; Would benefit from chapter names
- By Laimis on 08-15-20
By: George Orwell
-
The Last Crocodile Hunter
- By: Bob Irwin, Amanda French
- Narrated by: David Tredinnick
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bob Irwin's extraordinary life as a wildlife pioneer, father to wildlife warrior Steve and founder of Australia Zoo, told in his own words. Bob Irwin grew up in the Dandenong Ranges, where his passion for wildlife was born. A near-death experience while working as a plumber made Bob realise he needed to follow his dreams, so he and his wife, Lyn, moved their young family to Queensland, where they opened a wildlife park on the Sunshine Coast. The Irwin children grew up in around the Beerwah Reptile and Wildlife Park....
-
-
Great story!
- By Amazon Customer on 01-06-22
By: Bob Irwin, and others
-
The Distance Between Us
- A Memoir
- By: Reyna Grande
- Narrated by: Yareli Arizmendi
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this inspirational and unflinchingly honest memoir, acclaimed author Reyna Grande describes her childhood torn between the United States and Mexico, and shines a light on the experiences, fears, and hopes of those who choose to make the harrowing journey across the border. Reyna Grande vividly brings to life her tumultuous early years in this “compelling...unvarnished, resonant” (BookPage) story of a childhood spent torn between two parents and two countries.
-
-
opened my eyes to the beauty of our stories
- By Evelyn on 09-18-20
By: Reyna Grande
-
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
- By: Erika L. Sánchez
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents' house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family. But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga's role. Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.
-
-
FOR LATINAS WHO ARE OFTEN TOLD THEY "SOUND WHITE"
- By Alex on 12-14-18
By: Erika L. Sánchez
-
Land of Hope
- An Invitation to the Great American Story
- By: Wilfred M. McClay
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 20 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We have a glut of text and trade books on American history. But what we don’t have is a compact, inexpensive, and authoritative book that will offer to American citizens a clear, informative, and inspiring narrative account of their own country. Such an account can shape and deepen their sense of the land they inhabit and, by making them understand that land’s roots, and share in its memories, equip them for the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship in American society.
-
-
An apt word in discouraging times
- By Erin Frye on 08-05-20
-
Born a Crime
- Stories from a South African Childhood
- By: Trevor Noah
- Narrated by: Trevor Noah
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this award-winning Audible Studios production, Trevor Noah tells his wild coming-of-age tale during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa. It’s a story that begins with his mother throwing him from a moving van to save him from a potentially fatal dispute with gangsters, then follows the budding comedian’s path to self-discovery through episodes both poignant and comical.
-
-
Great book and perfect narration
- By MarilynArms on 12-15-16
By: Trevor Noah
-
Demon Copperhead
- A Novel
- By: Barbara Kingsolver
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 21 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Set in the mountains of southern Appalachia, Demon Copperhead is the story of a boy born to a teenaged single mother in a single-wide trailer, with no assets beyond his dead father’s good looks and copper-colored hair, a caustic wit, and a fierce talent for survival. Relayed in his own unsparing voice, Demon braves the modern perils of foster care, child labor, derelict schools, athletic success, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses.
-
-
Wow! It’s a Masterpiece
- By Billy on 10-25-22
-
The Fighting Bunch
- The Battle of Athens and How World War II Veterans Won the Only Successful Armed Rebellion Since the Revolution
- By: Chris DeRose
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The incredible, untold story of the WWII vets who overthrew their corrupt hometown government - the only successful armed rebellion on US soil since the War of Independence.
-
-
epic!
- By jned on 11-04-20
By: Chris DeRose
-
A Dream Called Home
- By: Reyna Grande
- Narrated by: Yareli Arizmendi
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Reyna Grande was nine years old, she walked across the US-Mexico border in search of a home, desperate to be reunited with the parents who had left her behind years before for a better life in the City of Angels. What she found instead was an indifferent mother, an abusive, alcoholic father, and a school system that belittled her heritage. With so few resources at her disposal, Reyna finds refuge in words, and it is her love of reading and writing that propels her to rise above until she achieves the impossible and is accepted to the University of California, Santa Cruz.
-
-
Beautiful
- By Carolyn on 10-17-18
By: Reyna Grande
-
The Warmth of Other Suns
- The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
- By: Isabel Wilkerson
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 22 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From 1915 to 1970, this exodus of almost six million people changed the face of America. Wilkerson compares this epic migration to the migrations of other peoples in history. She interviewed more than a thousand people, and gained access to new data and official records, to write this definitive and vividly dramatic account of how these American journeys unfolded, altering our cities, our country, and ourselves.
-
-
Superior non-fiction
- By Lila on 05-20-11
By: Isabel Wilkerson
-
Big Chicas Don't Cry
- By: Annette Chavez Macias
- Narrated by: Vanessa Vasquez, Alessandra Manon, Aida Reluzco, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cousins Mari, Erica, Selena, and Gracie are inseparable. They aren’t just family but best friends—sharing secrets, traditions, and a fierce love for their abuelita. But their idyllic childhood ends when Mari’s parents divorce, forcing her to move away. With Mari gone, the girls’ tight-knit bond unravels.
-
-
Painfully boring..
- By Monica Serrano on 09-24-22
-
The Greatest Game Ever Played
- Harry Vardon, Francis Ouimet, and the Birth of Modern Golf
- By: Mark Frost
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 17 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Francis Ouimet and Harry Vardon came from different worlds and different generations, but their passion for golf set them on parallel paths that would collide in the greatest match their sport had ever known.
-
-
Great Book
- By Warren on 11-02-15
By: Mark Frost
-
The Girl with the Louding Voice
- A Novel
- By: Abi Daré
- Narrated by: Adjoa Andoh
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The unforgettable, inspiring story of a teenage girl growing up in a rural Nigerian village who longs to get an education so that she can find her “louding voice” and speak up for herself, The Girl with the Louding Voice is a simultaneously heartbreaking and triumphant tale about the power of fighting for your dreams.
-
-
A must HEAR!
- By Michelle on 03-09-20
By: Abi Daré
-
The Book of Lost Friends
- A Novel
- By: Lisa Wingate
- Narrated by: Sophie Amoss, Sullivan Jones, Robin Miles, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the best-selling author of Before We Were Yours comes a dramatic historical novel of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post-Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students’ lives.
-
-
I want more!!!
- By Mrstlg on 04-11-20
By: Lisa Wingate
What listeners say about Burro Genius
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- kittycat
- 02-26-24
A story about true perseverance
I didn’t like talk about gun violence. The anger behind it, while warranted made this story a book I couldn’t recommend to an adolescent.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Angelica Valdez
- 10-17-19
Captivating and real!
A fan for many decades now, I can't imagine living a life without Victor's stories.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Natalie H.
- 06-08-23
If you’re Chicano read this book
I loved this story, it is very touching. Justice for Victor and all our Mexican American brothers and sisters who deal with discrimination everyday.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- The Golden Bear
- 05-02-21
Faith
Victor Villasenor creates magic while discussing faith. Faith in the face adversity. Faith in the face of terror. Faith in the face of hatred. And the faith and conviction that comes from forgiveness.
This is the continuing saga of the author’s life. It is filled with wisdom, understanding, and compassion.
In the face of prejudice and the bullying that accompanies the weak who prejudge others, the author overcame adversity to become a writer of consequence. His stories are told from the heart with all the lessons taught to him by his Indian parents and grandmothers.
This history made me smile; it made me cry; it made me chuckle, and sometimes made me shake my head in awe.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rocio
- 09-08-23
Such an amazing story!
Villasenor's story helped me understand my own. I identified with his experience narrated in this book specially because I have ADHD, and I'm a Mexicana living in the US. Since English isn't my first language, I always struggled to dive in this culture. This book was like therapy to me. Gracias infinitas!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- BecD
- 07-07-21
Eye opening!
This was a great telling of our school system from the perspective of someone who learned English as a second language. There's a variety of lessons one could take away. The narrator did a fabulous job telling the story. I sure felt like I was listening to the author.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 06-27-23
Another excellent book by Villaseñor
I’d highly recommend reading “Rain of Gold” to give you a stronger understanding of “Burro Genius” but this book is strong on its own.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Elizabeth
- 12-08-22
Amazing
I enjoyed every chapter of this book. Also the Rain of Gold, they takes me back in time. I imagine that my ancestors lived a similar life. Me being Mexican myself I can relate to many things in these stories. On to the 3rd book I go. 💞
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rachael
- 03-03-22
Great Storytelling
I absolutely loved it! I couldn't put it down. It was so raw and so real. This author is an inspiration to me ❤️
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Taylor X
- 07-15-24
Brilliant
Loved the entire story, my early schooldays had a lot of the same abuses to me.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!