The Hero of This Book - Elizabeth McCracken

Written by Elizabeth McCracken
Read by Elizabeth McCracken
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Publisher: HarperAudio
Release date: October 4, 2022
Duration: 04:37:01

Ten months after her mother’s death, the narrator of The Hero of This Book takes a trip to London. The city was a favorite of her mother’s, and as the narrator wanders the streets, she finds herself reflecting on her mother’s life and their relationship. Thoughts of the past meld with questions of the future: Back in New England, the family home is now up for sale, its considerable contents already winnowed.

The woman, a writer, recalls all that made her complicated mother extraordinary—her brilliant wit, her generosity, her unbelievable obstinacy, her sheer will in seizing life despite physical difficulties—and finds herself wondering how her mother had endured. Even though she wants to respect her mother’s nearly pathological sense of privacy, the woman must come to terms with whether making a chronicle of this remarkable life constitutes an act of love or betrayal.

The Hero of This Book is a searing examination of grief and renewal, and of a deeply felt relationship between a child and her parents.

“When is a memoir not a memoir? In this audiobook, clearly labeled a novel, that question lurks around every corner. McCracken narrates her work with such plainspoken simplicity that the story seems real–as if the author were confiding to listeners. McCracken’s protagonist reflects on the life of her beloved late mother while traveling alone to London. The flashbacks and reminiscences are so detailed and so carefully delivered that it seems impossible they can’t be true memories. McCracken’s voice is accessible and warm. Her delivery is forthright and without any self-consciousness. Sometimes the pensive sections become difficult to follow, but McCracken’s skill as writer and performer is significant and worth a listen. Novel? Memoir? This is simply a moving story anyone can appreciate.”–AudioFile