Get Legally New Releases of Full Audiobooks in Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Chicago Cubs

Subtitle: Story of a Curse

Author: Rich Cohen

Narrator: Adam Grupper

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-03-17

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

A captivating blend of reportage and memoir exploring the history of the Chicago Cubs

For Rich Cohen and millions of other fans, the Chicago Cubs have always been more than a team: they've been the protagonists of a King Arthur epic, in search of the Holy Grail that is winning the World Series. A chronicle of the last few miraculous seasons as experienced through the prism of Cubs history, The Chicago Cubs tracks the famous curse, which was placed on the team in 1945 by the infamous owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, who was ejected from Wrigley Field when he tried to bring his goat into the grandstand for the fifth game of the World Series. He vowed the team would never get back to the championship. And they haven't - until now.

Cohen follows the Cubs' early days as the first powerhouse baseball team, winners of the 1907 and 1908 World Series; their storied players, such as Billy Sunday, the second baseman who became the most popular preacher in America; their old stadiums; their owners, from chewing gum magnate William Wrigley to Thomas Ricketts, CEO of Ameritrade; and their time between the two World Wars; all of it leading up to the momentous last World Series appearance and the breaking of the famed curse.

A captivating blend of reportage and memoir, drawing on Cohen's extensive interviews and travels with recent Cubs players, owners, and coaching staff, The Chicago Cubs is a portrait not only of a team, but also of a city, of a game, and of what it means to be a perpetually disappointed fan who is finally rewarded.

Members Reviews:

just listen and it all happens again

fantastic reenactment of the greatest three weeks of my life. the historical stuff is also beautiful and enlightening. thanks, mr. Cohen, for taking it out of the past and handing it back to me.

If you love the Cubs, you will love this book

I am a die hard Cubs fan. This book gave a history of the cubs, telling many stories that I had not heard before. The book brought the stories to life. I have recommended this to many of my friends- all Cubs fans. This is the first audible book that I listened to. The performance was top notch. Go Cubs!

Interesting look at those 'loveable losers'

This book, while it focuses mainly on the history of the Cubs, is also an enjoyable, cursory look at the last 100+ years in Chicago and the US. All of the expected characters from the Cubs past make appearances ( Ernie 'lets play two', Leo 'the lip', the Billy Goat and Harry in the booth, to name just a few). Cohen presents the Cubs losing history and their "curse' as only a life long Cubs fan could. The fans heartbreak, irony and strange sense of pride all come through in this enjoyable tale.

The narrator is excellent and the first half of the book moves at an enjoyable pace. The second half of the book seemed to drag a bit and was at times a bit repetitious.

Overall, a fun read for those who love baseball, whether a Cubs fan or not .

Great read but narrator doesn't know baseball

The narrator mispronounces at least 5 names and multiple baseball terms. It's a great read but why on Earth would the editors or author not make the narrator go back and redo the passages where he botches names and terms? Power alley is not a difficult term but he screws it up.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Jackie Kennedy: A Captivating Guide to the Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Author: Captivating History

Narrator: Duke Holm

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-25-17

Publisher: Captivating History

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 26 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Explore the fascinating life of Jackie Kennedy!

Without a doubt, the name Jacqueline Kennedy draws multiple thoughts to mind. She is, perhaps, most well-known for her service as the first lady of the United States when her husband, John F. Kennedy, took office as the president, and for her role in restoring the White House. Then, of course, other people remember Jackie for her role in the fashion industry, particularly her pink Chanel suit and matching pillbox hat, which became symbols of her husband's assassination. Jackie is so renowned and beloved that she ranks as one of the most popular first ladies. In fact, Jacqueline was named, in 1999, in Gallup's list of Most Admired Men and Women in 20th century America. While she made major impacts on the White House, Jackie was much more than her title of first lady.

Some of the topics covered in this audiobook include:

Members Reviews:

Loved this book. Love the Kennedys

Wonderful to read about the inside of the Kennedys lives. Thank you for sharing your memories. I loved this book - so interesting to read of her abject poverty in Ireland and her exciting life serving Madam Kennedy Onassis. She is a gifted storyteller and I would love to read another memoir by this author!!

Bravo Personality.

What a wonderful audile. It is a must for all to enjoy. Im so delighted the author shared part of her life and the life of her mother with the public. I hope her message is understood and others will encourage their children to learn and live a comprehensive life.

Adored this book!

I loved this book and listened to it so intensely. I don't believe there was a section that was boring. The great representations of the characters in the book allowed a great insight into Jakie's life. You must listen to it!

Masterful description.

Amazing this was a great read!! I had to listen to all in on sitting. Even if you are not into history, you will love this book because this personality is loving and interesting. I have never listened to a book like this before, but I was so excited about this book and will listen to it again and agian.

Highly Recommended from me.

I was mazed to listen the book as the author knows almost everything about the personality. This book sheds a large amount of light on the forgoten 19 years of Jackies life. Its an amazing book.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Not Quite a Genius

Author: Nate Dern

Narrator: Nate Dern

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-08-17

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

From the senior writer at Funny or Die and former artistic director at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, a collection of absurdist, hilarious stories and essays on relationships, technology, and contemporary society.

This collection of essays and stories spans a wide variety of topics. There's the open letter to Charles Manson, the report of a brave archeologist's journey into a suburban man cave, and a long overdue missive from Leif Erikson to Christopher Columbus. Walt Whitman even teaches a spin class.

Nate Dern's razor-sharp eye examines modern society and technology, man buns, dating apps, and juicing crazes. Anyone who's ever scrunched their eyes at Wi-Fi terms & conditions, listened to the reasons that led a vegetarian to give up meat, or looked on in horror at the evolving audacity of reality TV will appreciate Dern's wicked and funny take on modern life.

Members Reviews:

Refreshing mix of stories for every type of reader

The blend of non-fiction, fiction and humor make this book a refreshing alternative to a more typical compilation of short stories. Dern's writing feels authentic and relatable in a way that makes his first book a truly enjoyable readâand while his background is in comedy writing, his stories will appeal to those who aren't necessarily looking for something funny, but just plain good.

Hilarious and thought-provoking debut from this new author

Once I started reading, I didn't want to put it down. This book, filled with short stories that are just the right length, kept me LOLing over and over. I'm looking forward to reading more from this writer, who seems to have a knack for writing stories about pop culture in an authentically hysterical voice.

Only a genius could write a book this ingenious about ...

Only a genius could write a book this ingenious about not being quite a genius. The stories in this book range from dark satire of our current culture to heart felt tales from Nate's childhood adventures in Colorado through Harvard and later his dream of being a comedian.

Great mix of true stuff, fake stuff, funny stuff

This a great mix of personal anecdotes, surreal fiction pieces, opinions and even a bit of straight-up scary stuff. I dug it.

This book was smart, endearing

This book was smart, endearing, and very very funny. I read a lot of comedic literature and I honestly can't recommend this enough. I laughed out loud on many occasions and smiled the entire time I was reading. A well deserved five stars.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Tomboy Survival Guide

Author: Ivan Coyote

Narrator: Ivan Coyote

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-02-17

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Stonewall Book Award Honor Book winner

Ivan Coyote is a celebrated storyteller and the author of 10 previous books, including Gender Failure (with Rae Spoon) and One in Every Crowd, a collection for LGBT youth. Tomboy Survival Guide is a funny and moving memoir told in stories, in which Ivan recounts the pleasures and difficulties of growing up a tomboy in Canada's Yukon, and how they learned to embrace their tomboy past while carving out a space for those of us who don't fit neatly into boxes or identities or labels.

Ivan writes movingly about many firsts: the first time they were mistaken for a boy; the first time they purposely discarded their bikini top so they could join the boys at the local swimming pool; and the first time they were chastised for using the women's washroom. Ivan also explores their years as a young butch, dealing with new infatuations and old baggage, and life as a gender-box-defying adult, in which they offer advice to young people while seeking guidance from others. (And for tomboys in training, there are even directions on building your very own unicorn trap.)

Tomboy Survival Guide warmly recounts Ivan's adventures and mishaps as a diffident yet free-spirited tomboy, and maps their journey through treacherous gender landscapes and a maze of labels that don't quite stick, to a place of self-acceptance and an authentic and personal strength. These heartfelt, funny, and moving stories are about the culture of difference - a "guide" to being true to one's self.

Members Reviews:

Funny and Touching Memoir.

I loved the humor and honesty of this book. Ivan has a very personal and vulnerable way of storytelling. "AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY".

From a self-proclaimed Tomboy

I loved this book! Listened to it all in one day while driving. It's funny in places, touching, and I cried a handful of times. Stories narrated by the author imo can go either way, but Ivan's accent, tone, and performance really added to the book for me. It felt genuine and personal.

It's also so uplifting to read about trans adults, AND trans adults who speak to their families. I spent the entire book either living vicariously through their wonderful life, or relating deeply to their discussion of gender, dysphoria, and navigating the world as a tomboy. I'd recommend this especially to trans young adults, anyone coming out later in life, and parents + friends of trans people looking to learn.

Brilliant!

So happy I got this book, have wanted ti read it for a while. Just tried Audible for the first time, love it, I'll be back!

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Jaguar in the Body, Butterfly in the Heart

Subtitle: The Real-life Initiation of an Everyday Shaman

Author: Ya'Acov Darling Khan

Narrator: Ya'Acov Darling Khan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-13-17

Publisher: Hay House UK

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Shaman, meaning "intermediary between spirit and the natural world", has become a much overused word in the West. It's not a job title one can give oneself, and in indigenous societies a shaman is usually born to this role. Ya'Acov Darling Khan is one of the few Westerners who have been acknowledged as shamans by indigenous elders or teachers. After being hit by lightning, Ya'Acov took a 30-year journey into the heart of shamanism to seek his own healing and to learn how he could serve others with the wisdom he acquired through his experiences. He has studied with indigenous teachers from the Arctic Circle to the United States and South America and has taken part in ceremonies in such diverse locations as Welsh caves and the depths of the Amazon rainforest. Nowadays Ya'Acov continues to study and regularly journeys to the Ecuadorean Amazon to work alongside the Achuar and Sápara people.

For thousands of years, shamans helped the people in their communities remain in balance with themselves, each other, the natural world, and the spirit world. This audiobook is not only a powerfully honest, humorous, and inspiring memoir but a guidebook for those from many cultures and walks of life wishing to return to their indigenous roots and be part of midwifing a more benign human presence here on Earth as part of a new dream.

With music from Susannah Darling Khan's album Torch Songs (featured song: "Drum Song"), available from music-medicine.co.uk.

Members Reviews:

A Fascinating Shamans Journey!

Thrilled to read this through audible on my commutes to work! It is a very authentic interpretation of a life in modern shamanism and I found it absolutely enthralling. A must read for those interested in this walk of life.

Not for me

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

I think people who want to have their pre-existing idea of shamanism validated might really like this. He says a lot of the right things.

Has Jaguar in the Body, Butterfly in the Heart turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, the things I see as untenable in this story are commonplace in books in this genre. The are some authors who truly see and can elucidate this path with great clarity, so I certainly would never give up.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Lots, but I am glad I made it through the book.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Iron Ambition

Subtitle: My Life with Cus D'Amato

Author: Mike Tyson

Narrator: Adam Lazarre-White

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 05-30-17

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 70 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

From the former heavyweight champion and New York Times best-selling memoirist comes an intimate look at the life and leadership lessons of Cus D'Amato, the legendary boxing trainer and Mike Tyson's surrogate father.

When Cus D'Amato first saw 13-year-old Mike Tyson spar in the ring, he proclaimed, "That's the heavyweight champion of the world." D'Amato, who had previously managed the careers of world champions Floyd Patterson and José Torres, would go on to train the young Tyson and raise him as a son. D'Amato died a year before Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history.

In Tyson's best-selling memoir Undisputed Truth, he recounted the role D'Amato played in his formative years, adopting him at age 16 after his mother died and shaping him both physically and mentally after Tyson had spent years living in fear and poverty. In Iron Ambition, Tyson elaborates on the life lessons that D'Amato passed down to him and reflects on how the trainer's words of wisdom continue to resonate with him outside the ring. The book also chronicles Cus' courageous fight against the mobsters who controlled boxing, revealing more than we've ever known about this singular cultural figure.

Members Reviews:

this book is greatness just like Mike

This book was very well written and read very well. I love the fact that you get a first hand look into the thought process of Mike and Cuss. I'm actually sad that I finished this book. I'm really hoping they make a movie about Cuss... One of the last true Great Heros!

One of the best books I've read for years

it's just a masterpiece. Having had a teacher and mentor that reminds me of Cus, made it somehow a bit hard at times.

A must read for any martial artist or entrepreneur

Amazing

This is a must for every boxing fan let alone Tyson fans. Mike Tyson was and is one of the most known humans on the planet and he gives great details of his journey.

Cant put it down

I loved this book just as much as Tysons first book. It gets a little dry in some places going into the details of Cuss problems in the 50s-60s, but thats when you get so impressed with Tysons abilities as a researcher, historian, writer and storyteller.

I finish the book wondering why In the hell fate can be so cruel. If Only Cus had loved to see his boy make it. But, I think Cus knew it was going to happen. Cus loved Mike as his son even if he didnt make it.

Odd recording in a challenging spot

Narrator does a great job of capturing Tyson without doing an impression, but the recording makes his voice change in patches. Editing is off.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Driving Miss Norma

Subtitle: One Family's Journey Saying "Yes" to Living

Author: Tim Bauerschmidt, Ramie Liddle

Narrator: Christopher Grove, Nan McNamara

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-02-17

Publisher: Harper Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 52 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

When Miss Norma was diagnosed with uterine cancer, she was advised to undergo surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. But instead of confining herself to a hospital bed for what could be her last stay, Norma - newly widowed after nearly seven decades of marriage - rose to her full height of five feet and told her doctor, "I'm 90 years old. I'm hitting the road."

Packing what she needed, Norma took off on an unforgettable cross-country journey with three professional nomads - her retired son, Tim; his wife, Ramie; and their standard poodle, Ringo - in a 36-foot RV. Driving Miss Norma is the charming, infectiously joyous chronicle of their experiences on the road - a transformative journey of living life on your own terms that shows us that it is never too late to begin an adventure, inspire hope, or become a trailblazer.

As this once timid woman says yes to living in the face of death, she tries regional foods for the first time, zip-lines through a former stranger's yard, and reaches for the clouds in a hot air balloon. With each passing mile (and one educational visit to a cannabis dispensary), Miss Norma's health improves, and conversations that had once been taboo begin to unfold. Norma, Tim, and Ramie bond in ways they had never done before, and their definitions of home, family, and friendship expand. Stop by stop, state by state, they meet countless people from all walks of life - strangers who become fast friends and welcome them with kindness and open hearts.

Infused with this irrepressible nonagenarian's wisdom, courage, and generous spirit, Driving Miss Norma reminds us that life is beautiful and precious and that family, fun, and self-discovery can happen at any age.

Members Reviews:

Wonderful story

I followed their story on FB for a while and when I saw there would be a book there was no hesitation. My whole life I have lived trying to grab life and live it. I loved this story.

A treasured story of living life.

thank you for sharing and blessing me with Miss Norma's story. it is a treasured story of living life.

Miss Norma, your journey inspires mine. TY.

I loved the story and lessons. Tim and Ramie deserve amazing kudos for allowing us all into their sacred time. Thank you for taking us along and for sharing Miss Norma with us. Thank you for saying YES when you barely knew the question you were being asked! A true sign of faith and love in action.

Attract what you focus on

Say yes! (:

Great book! Happy & eye opening. I would read again and again

What a beautiful story

Such a beautiful book! Reminds us all that life is a precious gift and that we muat live it to the max.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Being Miss America

Subtitle: Behind the Rhinestone Curtain

Author: Kate Shindle

Narrator: Kathleen Godwin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-10-17

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

In Being Miss America, Kate Shindle interweaves an engrossing, witty memoir of her year as Miss America 1998 with a fascinating and insightful history of the pageant. She explores what it means to take on the mantle of America's "ideal", especially considering the evolution of the American female identity since the pageant's inception. Shindle profiles winners and organization leaders and recounts important moments in the pageant's story, with a special focus on Miss America's iconoclasts, including Bess Myerson (1945), the only Jewish Miss America; Yolande Betbeze (1951), who crusaded against the pageant's pinup image; and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko (1987), a working-class woman from Michigan who wanted to merge her famous title with her work as an oncology nurse. Shindle's own account of her work as an AIDS activist - and finding ways to circumvent the "gown and crown" stereotypes of Miss America in order to talk honestly with high school students about safer sex - illuminates both the challenges and the opportunities that keep young women competing to become Miss America.

Critic Reviews:

"A captivating cultural history of the last 100 years in America through the lens of the Miss America Pageant..." (

Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

She builds wisely on his work and others but has a modern take on what it's like to be a college student one day and on ...

There's some real responsibility in being the first review! Kate has brought an insider's perspective as a former Miss America to something some of us care deeply about (recognizing we are a minority) and struggle with how to bring about change to the organization, brand, and experience. Kate had big shoes to fill from the much-revered, irreverent- yet- insightful, now 'historic' tome from Frank DeFord in 1971. She builds wisely on his work and others but has a modern take on what it's like to be a college student one day and on the road for a year another, following byzantine rules about what you can say about AIDS in school visits and trying to keep out of trouble with 'the front office'. Loved her commentary about the insidious and negative atmosphere online in 'pageant chat rooms' which recent Miss Americas, Miss States, and others are trying to change. As a thirty plus year volunteer who's agonized over many of the same issues she presents and spends too much of my time apologizing for sticking it out, I really appreciate how brave this book was and how necessary. This year isn't covered in the book but has been a very difficult one with judging/auditing and rule difficulties and the death knell for Atlantic City's once prospering casinos so I hope Kate will be in town to weigh in. A long time ago a journalist wrote "I can hardly bear to watch, but I do...the show is awful...the young women are wonderful." Indeed, the women are wonderful!

Honest, Thorough Story About Miss America -- the Organization and the Contestants

Although I've been a Miss America addict and actually have tapes of some of my favorite Miss America pageants and have watched them over and over, I wondered whether Kate Shindle's book would be disappointing.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Juniper

Subtitle: The Girl Who Was Born Too Soon

Author: Kelley French, Thomas French

Narrator: Kelley French, Thomas French

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-26-16

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 61 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

A micro-preemie fights for survival in this extraordinary and gorgeously told memoir by her parents, both award-winning journalists.

Juniper French was born four months early, at 23 weeks' gestation. She weighed one pound, four ounces, and her twiggy body was the length of a Barbie doll. Her head was smaller than a tennis ball, her skin was nearly translucent, and through her chest you could see her flickering heart. Babies like Juniper, born at the edge of viability, trigger the question: Which is the greater act of love - to save her or to let her go?

Kelley and Thomas French chose to fight for Juniper's life, and this is their incredible tale. In one exquisite memoir, the authors explore the border between what is possible and what is right. They marvel at the science that conceived and sustained their daughter and the love that made the difference. They probe the bond between a mother and a baby, between a husband and a wife. They trace the journey of their family from its fragile beginning to the miraculous survival of their now thriving daughter.

Critic Reviews:

"Kelley and Thomas French are two of America's best narrative journalists, and here is their most important story yet. Juniper is an astonishingly intimate and honest account of a mother, a father, and a complicated baby whose very existence calls into question every easy assumption about what a life means. This is a deeply moving and meaningful book." (David Finkel, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Thank You for Your Service)

"The Frenches put forth a love story about their daughter, with highs and lows throughout and moments of sheer joy that will keep readers involved until the very last page. This achingly tender memoir is also a roller-coaster...." (Publishers Weekly)

"This is what happens when two great writers join together to tell something really worth telling. This book, of a life barely there, breaks your heart on one page, and makes you want to pump your fist in the air just a few paragraphs later. It is an achingly lovely book, all the lovelier because it is true." (Rick Bragg, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist)

Members Reviews:

Best Non-Fiction Story of the Year - A Must Read!

What made the experience of listening to Juniper the most enjoyable?

The narration by the authors, Kelly & Thomas French.

What other book might you compare Juniper to and why?

It's "a one of a kind" true story I will hold with me in my heart forever Nothing I've ever read comes close to this wondrous miracle of Juniper.

Which scene was your favorite?

Too many to say.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Love does not conquer all, but in this memoir/biography IT DOES!

Any additional comments?

Everyone needs to read this book, LISTENING TO IT ON AUDIBLE IS SPECTACULAR!!

An Amazing Book!

We all know people who dont want to be parents. In contrast, Kelley and Tom French were willing to go to the ends of the earth to have a child. And you just know that they are going to be fantastic parents!

Finally getting pregnant, thanks to a donor egg, they were blessed with an impossibly premature baby girl, who they named Juniper.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: When in French

Subtitle: Love in a Second Language

Author: Lauren Collins

Narrator: Khristine Hvam

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-13-16

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

A language barrier is no match for love. Lauren Collins discovered this firsthand when, in her early 30s, she moved to London and fell for a Frenchman named Olivier - a surprising turn of events for someone who didn't have a passport until she was in college. But what does it mean to love someone in a second language? Collins wonders, as her relationship with Olivier continues to grow entirely in English. Are there things she doesn't understand about Olivier, having never spoken to him in his native tongue? Does "I love you" even mean the same thing as "je t'aime"? When the couple, newly married, relocates to Francophone Geneva, Collins - fearful of one day becoming "a Borat of a mother" who doesn't understand her own kids - decides to answer her questions for herself by learning French.

When in French is a laugh-out-loud funny and surprising memoir about the lengths we go to for love, as well as an exploration across culture and history into how we learn languages - and what they say about who we are. Collins grapples with the complexities of the French language, enduring excruciating role-playing games with her classmates at a Swiss language school and accidently telling her mother-in-law that she's given birth to a coffee machine. In learning French, Collins must wrestle with the very nature of French identity and society - which, it turns out, is a far cry from life back home in North Carolina. Plumbing the mysterious depths of humanity's many forms of language, Collins describes with great style and wicked humor the frustrations, embarrassments, surprises, and, finally, joys of learning - and living - in French.

Members Reviews:

Not What I Expected

I thought this would be a fun listen about a couple and their culture clash, on a personal level and not peripherally. Instead, it is a chiefly a rather dry showcase of the author's vocabulary and knowledge of linguistics. Tres dommage.

More than expected!

I have a French sister in law and nephew, so this seemed perfect for me as I try and recall all the French I learned in high school and college and have started listening to tapes so I can visit them in France. Besides the authors personal experience, there are lots of interesting facts about the history of French and language in general that I was not expecting but found fascinating! Feeling more inspired to keep trying. Je veux parler Francais!