Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting
Written by Anna Quindlen
Narrated by Cynthia Farrell
4/5
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About this audiobook
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The perfect gift for new parents and grandparents this Mother’s Day: a bighearted book of wisdom, wit, and insight, celebrating the love and joy of being a grandmother, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist and #1 bestselling author
“This tender book should be required reading for grandparents everywhere.”—Booklist (starred review)
“I am changing his diaper, he is kicking and complaining, his exhausted father has gone to the kitchen for a glass of water, his exhausted mother is prone on the couch. He weighs little more than a large sack of flour and yet he has laid waste to the living room: swaddles on the chair, a nursing pillow on the sofa, a car seat, a stroller. No one cares about order, he is our order, we revolve around him. And as I try to get in the creases of his thighs with a wipe, I look at his, let’s be honest, largely formless face and unfocused eyes and fall in love with him. Look at him and think, well, that’s taken care of, I will do anything for you as long as we both shall live, world without end, amen.”
Before blogs even existed, Anna Quindlen became a go-to writer on the joys and challenges of family, motherhood, and modern life, in her nationally syndicated column. Now she’s taking the next step and going full nana in the pages of this lively, beautiful, and moving book about being a grandmother. Quindlen offers thoughtful and telling observations about her new role, no longer mother and decision-maker but secondary character and support to the parents of her grandson. She writes, “Where I once led, I have to learn to follow.” Eventually a close friend provides words to live by: “Did they ask you?”
Candid, funny, frank, and illuminating, Quindlen’s singular voice has never been sharper or warmer. With the same insights she brought to motherhood in Living Out Loud and to growing older in Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, this new nana uses her own experiences to illuminate those of many others.
Praise for Nanaville
“Witty and thoughtful . . . Nanaville serves up enough vivid anecdotes and fresh insights—about childhood, about parenthood, about grandparenthood and about life—to make for a gratifying read.”—The New York Times
“Classic, bittersweet Quindlen . . . [Her] wonder at seeing her eldest child grow into his new role is lovely and moving. . . . The best parts of Nanaville are the charming vignettes of Quindlen's solo time with her grandson.”—NPR
Anna Quindlen
Anna Quindlen is a novelist and journalist whose work has appeared on fiction, nonfiction, and self-help bestseller lists. She is the author of nine novels: Object Lessons, One True Thing, Black and Blue, Blessings, Rise and Shine, Every Last One, Still Life with Bread Crumbs, Miller’s Valley, and Alternate Side. Her memoir Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, published in 2012, was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Her book A Short Guide to a Happy Life has sold more than a million copies. While a columnist at The New York Times she won the Pulitzer Prize and published two collections, Living Out Loud and Thinking Out Loud. Her Newsweek columns were collected in Loud and Clear.
More audiobooks from Anna Quindlen
Alternate Side: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Still Life with Bread Crumbs: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Miller's Valley: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black and Blue Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One True Thing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rise and Shine Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Object Lessons Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Every Last One Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Living Out Loud Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Society of Demolition Writers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGood Dog. Stay. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Nanaville
67 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It was cute. Easy read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anna Quindlen describes the emotional reactions to becoming a grandparent so well and also describes the mistakes that one may make. If I had read this book two months earlier, I might have avoided making one of mine!! This book was recommended to me by a friend. I share one particular aspect of grandparenting with the author. I too have a grandson, who is half-Chinese and will be bilingual. However, my grandson lives in Beijing, so we have to work to stay connected. It was a blessing for us that the family came to visit for a month this summer and I had some good in person time.This book would be good for any new grandparent.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As a grandparent of thirteen, I adored this book. Every grandparent will recognize or relate to something in this book. Told in such a natural voice that I felt she was next to me and we were discussing Parenthood and how being a grandparent is even more special. Their is humor, lessons learned, experiences related, and how wonderful and special is the bond between her and her grandson. In fact, many of my favorite episodes in this book is when she is alone taking care of her grandson, or just spending time with him. Her wonder at this amazing little person shines through out."At a certain point you realize there's a higher level of agreement about grandchildren than there is about the benefits of democracy, or chocolate.""A big part of our grandparent job is expressing ecstatic appreciation for everything from urination to reflexes. We must always silence the irritated voice of adult competency. Okay, I get it you drew a 3. But, honestly, a 3 isn't that hard.""Because that's one of the really important things about books, that they enable you to talk to your children about all sorts of things, sometimes without speaking at all."
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5First, I have to say that I love Anna Quindlen so if you’re not a fan, you should remove at least 1 star from my 5 star review! Also, if you’re too young to even imagine becoming a grandparent, you should save this book until later down the road. However, if you have a grandchild or are looking forward to a grandchild in the not too distant future, then you will love this book as much as I do! Anna Quindlen completely captures the feelings that overwhelm you when your child has a child. I can honestly say that the day my first grandson was born, it completely changed my life.But, Anna says it so much better: “All I know is: The hand. The little hand that takes yours, small and soft as feathers. I’m happy our grandson does not yet have sophisticated language or a working knowledge of personal finance, because if he took my hand and said, “Nana, can you sign your 401(K) over to me,” I can imagine myself thinking, well, I don’t really need a retirement fund, do I?”Whatever they charge for this book is more than worth it, it’s a book that you’ll love for a very long time!