Clara’s Verdict
Eve Rodsky’s first book, Fair Play, made a genuine impact in conversations about domestic labour and gender equity. Find Your Unicorn Space is its sequel in spirit, and it addresses something that Fair Play left slightly unresolved: once you have redistributed the mental load, what do you do with the time you reclaim? Rodsky’s answer – find your “Unicorn Space,” the creative pursuit that makes you distinctively yourself – is both straightforward and genuinely worth exploring. The audiobook, narrated by Rodsky herself, is lively and easy to engage with, even if the book is not without its limitations.
About the Audiobook
Published by Hachette Australia in December 2021 and running at 8 hours and 49 minutes, Find Your Unicorn Space builds on the framework established in Fair Play. Rodsky’s central argument is that creativity – broadly defined, not limited to conventional artistic endeavour – is not a luxury but a necessity for human flourishing. She calls this creative time “Unicorn Space” and argues that most people, women in particular, have had it systematically crowded out by the demands of work, family, and social obligation.
The book draws on interviews with a range of people who have found their Unicorn Space in unexpected places: activism, artisan crafts, second careers, athletic pursuits. It also cites research on creativity, wellbeing, and identity to buttress the argument. Rodsky is good at synthesising material accessibly, and the book is structured to move from diagnosis – why we have lost our creative time – to prescription – how to reclaim it.
It is worth noting that, as some listeners observe, the book does assume a particular demographic: people with busy careers, families, and partners whose domestic arrangements have already, or nearly, been equalised. If that is not your situation, parts of it will feel less directly applicable.
The Narration
Rodsky reads the audiobook herself, and she is an engaging narrator – warm, conversational, and clearly invested in the subject. She speaks with the energy of someone who has thought hard about these ideas and is genuinely enthusiastic about sharing them. At just under nine hours, the listening time is comfortable, and her voice carries the material well even through the more prescriptive sections. The self-narration gives the book an intimacy that a professional narrator might not have replicated.
What Readers Say
The audiobook holds a rating of 4.3 out of 5 from over 400 listeners. Responses are genuinely divided, which I find more interesting than uniform enthusiasm. One UK listener appreciated the book’s focus on women who have spent their lives making others comfortable and never asked “what would I like to do today?” – precisely the audience Rodsky is aiming at. A Canadian reader found it “very inspiring.” More critical voices note that the first half covers familiar ground and that the book’s assumptions about its audience can feel limiting. The honest range of responses suggests a book that connects deeply with its intended readership while being less transformative for those outside it.
Who Should Listen?
This is well matched to anyone who finished Fair Play and found themselves wondering “now what?” – or to anyone who has successfully addressed the practical question of time but still feels something is missing. It is particularly relevant if you are someone who gave up creative pursuits when life got busy and is looking for both permission and practical guidance to reclaim them. Listeners who are not in a partnered, parenting context may find some sections less resonant, but the central argument about creativity as necessity rather than luxury is worth hearing regardless.
Listen on Audible UK – get your copy here.
