Becoming Grandma
The Joys and Science of the New Grandparenting
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Narrated by:
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Lesley Stahl
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By:
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Lesley Stahl
About this listen
The New York Times best seller.
From one of the country’s most recognizable journalists: How becoming a grandmother transforms a woman’s life.
After four decades as a reporter, Lesley Stahl’s most vivid and transformative experience of her life was not covering the White House, interviewing heads of state, or researching stories at 60 Minutes. It was becoming a grandmother. She was hit with a jolt of joy so intense and unexpected, she wanted to “investigate” it - as though it were a news flash. And so, using her 60 Minutes skills, she explored how grandmothering changes a woman’s life, interviewing friends like Whoopi Goldberg, colleagues like Diane Sawyer (and grandfathers, including Tom Brokaw), as well as the proverbial woman next door.
Along with these personal accounts, Stahl speaks with scientists and doctors about physiological changes that occur in women when they have grandchildren; anthropologists about why there are grandmothers, in evolutionary terms; and psychiatrists about the therapeutic effects of grandchildren on both grandmothers and grandfathers.
Throughout Becoming Grandma, Stahl shares stories about her own life with granddaughters Jordan and Chloe, about how her relationship with her daughter, Taylor, has changed, and about how being a grandfather has affected her husband, Aaron.
In an era when baby boomers are becoming grandparents in droves and when young parents need all the help they can get raising their children, Stahl’s book is a timely and affecting LISTEN that redefines a cherished relationship.
©2016 Lesley Stahl (P)2016 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"[An] energetic, informative, and often touching book….Stahl includes stories of generational conflict [and] plentiful glimpses of her family’s joys and those of many others...No matter where readers fall in age or experience, this book should top their 2016 reading list of parenting titles.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
“Lesley Stahl brings the keen reporting we know from '60 Minutes' to the story of grandparenting. Amazed and delighted at the joy she experienced with the arrival of own two granddaughters, Stahl set about finding out why that was true. Her wise answers, both scientific and practical, provide useful information not only for grandparents and the children they cherish, but also for the wider society. This is a wonderfully fun read about an important subject.” (Cokie Roberts, author of We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters)
“Award-winning broadcast journalist Stahl [investigates] the importance of the role grandparents can play in the lives of their children and grandchildren.... Through the medium of her own experiences, the author delivers a wise and witty book. A welcome guide for new grandparents and their children looking to savor the joys and navigate the pitfalls of grandparenting.” (Kirkus)
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Performance
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"You'll change your mind." That's what everyone says to Jen Kirkman - and countless women like her - when she confesses she doesn't plan to have children. But you know what? It's hard enough to be an adult. You have to dress yourself and pay bills and remember to buy birthday gifts. You have to drive and get annual physicals and tip for good service. Some adults take on the added burden of caring for a tiny human being with no language skills or bladder control.
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Funny. Not fall down laughing funny, but funny
- By david on 05-22-13
By: Jen Kirkman
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Instant Mom
- By: Nia Vardalos
- Narrated by: Nia Vardalos
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Some families are created in different ways but are still, in every way, a family. Writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding Nia Vardalos firmly believed she was supposed to be a mom, but Mother Nature and modern medicine had put her in a headlock. So she made a choice that shocked friends, family, and even herself: with only 14 hours' notice, she adopted a preschooler.
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Witty and Heartfelt
- By Beth M. Honeycutt on 07-03-24
By: Nia Vardalos
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Americanized
- Rebel Without a Green Card
- By: Sara Saedi
- Narrated by: Lameece Issaq
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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At 13, bright-eyed straight-A student Sara Saedi uncovered a terrible family secret: She was breaking the law simply by living in the United States. Only two years old when her parents fled Iran, she didn't learn of her undocumented status until her older sister wanted to apply for an after-school job but couldn't because she didn't have a Social Security number. Fear of deportation kept Sara up at night, but it didn't keep her from being a teenager.
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Corny Cheesy
- By Mina00 on 09-06-18
By: Sara Saedi
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Shanda
- A Memoir of Shame and Secrecy
- By: Letty Cottin Pogrebin
- Narrated by: Dina Pearlman
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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The word "shanda" is defined as shame or disgrace in Yiddish. This book, Shanda, tells the story of three generations of complicated, intense twentieth-century Jews for whom the desire to fit in and the fear of public humiliation either drove their aspirations or crushed their spirit. In her deeply engaging, astonishingly candid memoir, author and activist Letty Cottin Pogrebin exposes the fiercely-guarded lies and intricate cover-ups woven by dozens of members of her extended family.
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Beautifully Written!
- By Adele Aron Greenspun on 01-12-23
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To the End of June
- The Intimate Life of American Foster Care
- By: Cris Beam
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Who are the children of foster care? What, as a country, do we owe them? Cris Beam, a foster mother herself, spent five years immersed in the world of foster care looking into these questions and tracing firsthand stories. The result is To the End of June, an unforgettable portrait that takes us deep inside the lives of foster children in their search for a stable, loving family. Beam shows us the intricacies of growing up in the system - the back-and-forth with agencies, the rootless shuffling between homes, the emotionally charged tug between foster and birth parents.
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Good dissertation
- By Nim on 03-13-19
By: Cris Beam
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Mother Daughter Me
- A Memoir
- By: Katie Hafner
- Narrated by: Katie Hafner
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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The complex, deeply binding relationship between mothers and daughters is brought vividly to life in Katie Hafner's remarkable memoir, an exploration of the year she and her mother, Helen, spent working through, and triumphing over, a lifetime of unresolved emotions. Dreaming of a "year in Provence" with her mother, Katie urges Helen to move to San Francisco to live with her and Zoe, Katie's teenage daughter. Katie and Zoe had become a mother-daughter team, strong enough, Katie thought, to absorb the arrival of a 77-year-old woman set in her ways....
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Listen and be swept away!
- By Barbara Quick on 06-02-22
By: Katie Hafner
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The Unspeakable
- And Other Subjects of Discussion
- By: Meghan Daum
- Narrated by: Meghan Daum
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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It's a report tempered by hard times. In "Matricide", Daum unflinchingly describes a parent's death and the uncomfortable emotions it provokes; and in "Diary of a Coma" she relates her own journey to the twilight of the mind. But Daum also operates in a comic register. With perfect precision, she reveals the absurdities of the marriage-industrial complex, of the New Age dating market, and of the peculiar habits of the young and digital.
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Complaining about her dead mom.
- By Erik Hermansen on 11-23-14
By: Meghan Daum
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The Man I Never Met
- A Memoir
- By: Adam Schefter
- Narrated by: Adam Schefter
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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On September 11, 2001, Joe Maio went to work in the north tower of the World Trade Center. He never returned, leaving behind a wife, Sharri, and 15-month old son, Devon. Five years later, Sharri remarried, and Devon welcomed a new dad into his life. For thousands, the whole country really, 9/11 is a day of grief. For Adam and Sharri Maio Schefter and their family it’s not just a day of grief, but also hope. This is a story of 9/11, but it’s also the story of 9/12 and all the days after. Life moved on. Pieces were picked up. New dreams were dreamed. The Schefters are the embodiment of that.
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Remembering a fallen father thru a family
- By Bob H on 09-07-18
By: Adam Schefter
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Believing in Magic
- My Story of Love, Overcoming Adversity, and Keeping the Faith
- By: Cookie Johnson, Denene Millner
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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On November 7, 1991, basketball legend Magic Johnson stunned the world with the news that he was HIV-positive. For the millions who tuned in as he shared his news, Magic's revelation became a seminal moment for the nation. Now twenty-five years later, Cookie Johnson shares her story and the emotional journey that started on that day - from life as a pregnant and joyous newlywed to one filled with the fear that her husband would die, she and her baby would, too, be infected with the virus.
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Not the inspiration story
- By M. Mao on 07-06-17
By: Cookie Johnson, and others
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Transitions of the Heart
- Stories of Love, Struggle and Acceptance by Mothers of Transgender and Gender Variant Children
- By: Rachel Pepper - editor
- Narrated by: Elisabeth Rodgers
- Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Transitions of the Heart is the first collection to ever invite mothers of transgender and gender variant children of all ages to tell their own stories about their child’s gender transition. Often transitioning socially and emotionally alongside their child but rarely given a voice in the experience, mothers hold the key to familial and societal understanding of gender difference.
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Heartfelt, Well-Written, and Moving
- By Susie on 01-04-13
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What a Difference a Mom Makes
- The Indelible Imprint a Mom Leaves on Her Son's Life
- By: Kevin Leman
- Narrated by: Dean Gallagher
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Boys will be boys - always. And no one has a more powerful impact on them than you, Mom. Surprise! Your boy wants to please you, and he cares deeply about what you think. Those driving needs will stay with him throughout his lifetime. That gives you, Mom, a lot of influence over your son. You can set him up for success in life. In What a Difference a Mom Makes, the New York Times best-selling author Dr. Kevin Leman reveals how you can make a positive imprint on your son - from the moment you first hold him in your arms until the moment he leaves for college. And the best news? It's never too late to start.
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Overall some solid advice - would recommend to new moms of boys
- By Tania on 04-12-20
By: Kevin Leman
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Hidden Girl
- The True Story of a Modern-Day Child Slave
- By: Shyima Hall, Lisa Wysocky
- Narrated by: Robin Eller
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Shyima Hall was born in Egypt on September 29, 1989, the seventh child of desperately poor parents. When she was eight, her parents sold her into slavery. Shyima then moved two hours away to Egypt's capitol city of Cairo to live with a wealthy family and serve them eighteen hours a day, seven days a week. When she was ten, her captors moved to Orange County, California, and smuggled Shyima with them. Two years later, an anonymous call from a neighbor brought about the end of Shyima's servitude - but her journey to true freedom was far from over.
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story
- By Don on 09-26-14
By: Shyima Hall, and others
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Pieces of Me
- Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters
- By: Lizbeth Meredith
- Narrated by: Suzie Althens
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1994, Lizbeth Meredith said good-bye to her four- and six year-old daughters for a visit with their noncustodial father only to learn days later that they had been kidnapped and taken to their father's home country of Greece. Twenty-nine and just on the verge of making her dreams of financial independence for her and her daughters come true, Lizbeth now faced a $100,000 problem on a $10 an hour budget.
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You really won't want to stop listening!
- By Artist's Eye on 07-17-18
By: Lizbeth Meredith
What listeners say about Becoming Grandma
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Maria
- 10-17-24
The Joy and Impact of Grandparenting: A Heartfelt Exploration
Leslie Stahl’s Becoming Grandma is a delightful and heartwarming collection of stories that takes readers through the emotional journey of becoming a grandparent. From family and friends to famous leaders and celebrities, Stahl explores how the arrival of a grandchild deeply affects grandparents, not only emotionally but also healthwise. The book is rich with interesting data on the powerful bond between grandparents and grandchildren, illustrating the significant impact this relationship can have on both generations.
I found this book to be incredibly relatable, funny, informative, and inspiring. It’s a must-read for anyone, as it beautifully captures the dynamics of a grandparent’s thoughts, behaviors, and emotions, providing a deeper understanding of how grandparenthood reshapes our outlook on family and legacy. I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it to others.
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- Lorca
- 10-15-16
Looved the book!!!
Loved the book!! Easy and interesting..lots of interesting facts. So looking forward to become a grandmother even my son is just 4;)
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- Karen Allison
- 02-03-17
Lesley wrote what was in my heart
Joyful , intellectual, researched point of view -on a wonderful time of life. It made me laugh and cry as it touched my heart.
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2 people found this helpful
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- GSY,9
- 04-13-16
touching, well written, familiar voice
loved this book. as a young mom i read it and gained insight into my mother and mother in laws perspective. great wisdom. enjoyable read.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jodi Gates
- 05-16-16
Amazingly accurate
I recently became a grandmother for the first time 20 months ago and I think I have removed all of the feelings and events that Leslie expressed in her book. I never thought I wanted to be a grandma, And now I can't ever imagine not being one. My grandchildren are soul of my heart!!! Thank you Leslie for sharing a different side of yourself and a perspective that really helps if there is any way to truly explain how it feels you did an amazing job.
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- monika
- 06-30-17
Grandmother's Unite
Wonderful to know there are others who experience such infinitely whole love and yet, have similar struggles with daughters-in-law.
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- Carol
- 10-03-23
Great book!
I’m so happy that I listened to this book, my daughter is about to have my first grandchild and this book really help me to understand what is expected of me as the grandmother! Ty!
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- Gadget Girl
- 01-08-24
Loved the mix of personal experience and research
As a soon-to-be grandma, I appreciated the author’s candor regarding her own experience. An unexpected bonus was all the research-backed information.
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- Linda Dianne Cannon
- 04-10-16
Great compilation of 21st century grandmas
Loved Lesley Stahl's indepth research of the many different shandras of what it's like and obstacles from Grandmas around the country.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Mary Joyce phillips
- 08-27-16
A guide for grandparenting. Just as DR. Spock gave us his knowledge of raising children so does Lesley stahl .
Great book. Lesley is right on with understanding of grandparents today. Remarkable insight. So glad I listened to this book. Every grandparent should read this book. And I'm a republican.
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