
Becoming Grandma
The Joys and Science of the New Grandparenting
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $15.75
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Lesley Stahl
-
By:
-
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...
-
Nanaville
- Adventures in Grandparenting
- By: Anna Quindlen
- Narrated by: Cynthia Farrell
- Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mother, mother-in-law, grandmother - the Pulitzer-winning columnist and #1 bestselling author reflects on the roles we play throughout our lives, sharing personal stories and advice on the special joys and complexities of middle age. 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 this lively, beautiful, and moving book about being a grandmother, and much more.
-
-
Brilliant moments with her grandson
- By Lili on 05-01-19
By: Anna Quindlen
-
Grandparenting on Purpose
- Fresh Ideas, Activities, and Traditions for Connecting with Grandchildren Near and Far
- By: M. Winston Egan, Linda Egan
- Narrated by: Brad Nygren
- Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Being a grandparent...is the highlight of your golden years. But how can you make the most of this time and leave a legacy for generations to come? With the help of their children, their spouses, and 22 grandchildren, Winston and Linda Egan have written this guide to show you how you can build close, loving relationships in your family while creating memories that last forever.
By: M. Winston Egan, and others
-
Tom Lake
- A Novel
- By: Ann Patchett
- Narrated by: Meryl Streep
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.
-
-
So incredibly boring
- By Rhonda Morrison on 08-05-23
By: Ann Patchett
-
Lessons in Chemistry
- A Novel
- By: Bonnie Garmus
- Narrated by: Miranda Raison, Bonnie Garmus, Pandora Sykes
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.
-
-
Making my 3 adult daughters read this
- By Teresa H. on 04-07-22
By: Bonnie Garmus
-
The Moment of Lift
- How Empowering Women Changes the World
- By: Melinda French Gates
- Narrated by: Melinda French Gates
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How can we summon a moment of lift for human beings - and especially for women? Because, when you lift up women, you lift up humanity. For the last 20 years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift society up, you need to stop keeping women down.
-
-
Phenomenal Book, Absolute Gem
- By D. Sooley on 04-28-19
-
Have You Seen Luis Velez?
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn’t belong. Not with his mother’s new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father’s wife. Not at school, where he’s an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he’s tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who’s introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez?
-
-
Disappointed
- By Mark on 01-31-20
-
Nanaville
- Adventures in Grandparenting
- By: Anna Quindlen
- Narrated by: Cynthia Farrell
- Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mother, mother-in-law, grandmother - the Pulitzer-winning columnist and #1 bestselling author reflects on the roles we play throughout our lives, sharing personal stories and advice on the special joys and complexities of middle age. 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 this lively, beautiful, and moving book about being a grandmother, and much more.
-
-
Brilliant moments with her grandson
- By Lili on 05-01-19
By: Anna Quindlen
-
Grandparenting on Purpose
- Fresh Ideas, Activities, and Traditions for Connecting with Grandchildren Near and Far
- By: M. Winston Egan, Linda Egan
- Narrated by: Brad Nygren
- Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Being a grandparent...is the highlight of your golden years. But how can you make the most of this time and leave a legacy for generations to come? With the help of their children, their spouses, and 22 grandchildren, Winston and Linda Egan have written this guide to show you how you can build close, loving relationships in your family while creating memories that last forever.
By: M. Winston Egan, and others
-
Tom Lake
- A Novel
- By: Ann Patchett
- Narrated by: Meryl Streep
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.
-
-
So incredibly boring
- By Rhonda Morrison on 08-05-23
By: Ann Patchett
-
Lessons in Chemistry
- A Novel
- By: Bonnie Garmus
- Narrated by: Miranda Raison, Bonnie Garmus, Pandora Sykes
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.
-
-
Making my 3 adult daughters read this
- By Teresa H. on 04-07-22
By: Bonnie Garmus
-
The Moment of Lift
- How Empowering Women Changes the World
- By: Melinda French Gates
- Narrated by: Melinda French Gates
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How can we summon a moment of lift for human beings - and especially for women? Because, when you lift up women, you lift up humanity. For the last 20 years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift society up, you need to stop keeping women down.
-
-
Phenomenal Book, Absolute Gem
- By D. Sooley on 04-28-19
-
Have You Seen Luis Velez?
- By: Catherine Ryan Hyde
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raymond Jaffe feels like he doesn’t belong. Not with his mother’s new family. Not as a weekend guest with his father and his father’s wife. Not at school, where he’s an outcast. After his best friend moves away, Raymond has only two real connections: to the feral cat he’s tamed and to a blind ninety-two-year-old woman in his building who’s introduced herself with a curious question: Have you seen Luis Velez?
-
-
Disappointed
- By Mark on 01-31-20
-
A Forever Family
- Fostering Change One Child at a Time
- By: Rob Scheer, Jon Sternfeld - contributor
- Narrated by: Rob Scheer
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the tradition of The Promise of a Pencil and Kisses from Katie comes an inspirational memoir by the founder of Comfort Cases about his turbulent childhood in the foster care system and the countless obstacles and discrimination he endured in adopting his four children.
-
-
Great Storytelling!
- By Melissa Kaye on 08-29-24
By: Rob Scheer, and others
-
The Woman They Could Not Silence
- One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear
- By: Kate Moore
- Narrated by: Kate Moore
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1860: As the clash between the states rolls slowly to a boil, Elizabeth Packard, housewife and mother of six, is facing her own battle. The enemy sits across the table and sleeps in the next room. Her husband of 21 years is plotting against her because he feels increasingly threatened - by Elizabeth’s intellect, independence, and unwillingness to stifle her own thoughts. So Theophilus makes a plan to put his wife back in her place. One summer morning, he has her committed to an insane asylum.
-
-
Everyone should read this!
- By Lana S on 12-22-21
By: Kate Moore
-
The Other Einstein
- By: Marie Benedict
- Narrated by: Mozhan Marnò
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mitza Maric has always been a little different from other girls. Most 20-year-olds are wives by now, not studying physics at an elite Zurich university with only male students trying to outdo her clever calculations. But Mitza is smart enough to know that, for her, math is an easier path than marriage. And then fellow student Albert Einstein takes an interest in her, and the world turns sideways. Theirs becomes a partnership of the mind and of the heart, but there might not be room for more than one genius in a marriage.
-
-
Re writing history
- By PJ Goetz on 11-08-19
By: Marie Benedict
-
The Daily Dad
- 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids
- By: Ryan Holiday
- Narrated by: Ryan Holiday
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Becoming a parent is more than just a biological process—it’s a lifelong commitment to sacrifice, service, and most importantly, love. It’s a challenge to get up every day and put your kids first. You will experience moments of heroic compassion and humiliating failure, sometimes within the same day. But you don’t have to do it alone. From Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the smash hit The Daily Stoic, The Daily Dad provides 366 timeless meditations on parenting in a few manageable paragraphs a day—useful for even the most sleep deprived new parent.
-
-
I love the stories …..but it’s full of ESG BS
- By Steven B on 09-20-23
By: Ryan Holiday
-
Drinking Games
- A Memoir
- By: Sarah Levy
- Narrated by: Sarah Levy
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On paper, Sarah Levy’s life was on track. She was 28, living in New York City, working a great job, and socializing every weekend. But Sarah had a secret: her relationship with alcohol was becoming toxic. And only she could save herself. Drinking Games explores the role alcohol has in our formative years, and what it means to opt out of a culture completely enmeshed in drinking. It’s an examination of what our short-term choices about alcohol do to our long-term selves and how they challenge our ability to be vulnerable enough to discover what we really want in life.
-
-
Surface Level, Young Adult Essays
- By dr8901 on 03-29-23
By: Sarah Levy
-
Grandmothering
- The Secrets to Making a Difference While Having the Time of Your Life
- By: Linda Eyre
- Narrated by: Michelle Murillo
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
he New York Times best-selling author and grandmother Linda Eyre shares her secret formula for teaching your grandchildren values, building meaningful connections with them, and giving them grit and resilience in an ever-changing world. Broken into short, digestible chapters for quick listening, this guidebook is filled with time-tested advice and stories from a panel of grandmothers, plus an appendix of easy, delicious recipes to feed a crowd at your next family reunion.
-
-
just what I was looking for
- By Debra on 05-27-21
By: Linda Eyre
-
Hello, Sunshine
- By: Laura Dave
- Narrated by: Joy Osmanski
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sunshine Mackenzie truly is living the dream. A lifestyle guru for the modern age, Sunshine is beloved by millions of people who tune in to her YouTube cooking show, and millions more scour her website for recipes, wisdom, and her enticing suggestions for how to curate a perfect life. She boasts a series of New York Times best-selling cookbooks, a devoted architect husband, and a reputation for sincerity and kindness - Sunshine seems to have it all. But she's hiding who she really is.
-
-
Interesting message
- By Chris on 11-27-17
By: Laura Dave
-
In Love
- A Memoir of Love and Loss
- By: Amy Bloom
- Narrated by: Amy Bloom
- Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amy Bloom began to notice changes in her husband, Brian: He retired early from a new job he loved; he withdrew from close friendships; he talked mostly about the past. Suddenly, it seemed there was a glass wall between them, and their long walks and talks stopped. Their world was altered forever when an MRI confirmed what they could no longer ignore: Brian had Alzheimer’s disease.
-
-
A helpful,healing memoir
- By Helen on 03-31-22
By: Amy Bloom
-
The Color of Water
- A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother
- By: James McBride
- Narrated by: JD Jackson, Susan Denaker
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Who is Ruth McBride Jordan? A self-declared "light-skinned" woman evasive about her ethnicity, yet steadfast in her love for her 12 Black children. James McBride, journalist, musician, and son, explores his mother's past, as well as his own upbringing and heritage, in a poignant and powerful debut, The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother.
-
-
Awesome
- By Michael on 05-30-17
By: James McBride
-
Act Like You Got Some Sense
- And Other Things My Daughters Taught Me
- By: Jamie Foxx
- Narrated by: Jamie Foxx, Corinne Foxx
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jamie Foxx has won an Academy Award and a Grammy Award, laughed with sitting presidents, and partied with the biggest names in hip-hop. In Act Like You Got Some Sense, Jamie shares up close and personal stories about the tough love and old-school values he learned growing up in the small town of Terrell, Texas; his early days trying to make it in Hollywood; the joys and challenges of achieving stardom; and how each phase of his life shaped his parenting journey. Hilarious, poignant, and always brutally honest, this is Jamie Foxx like we’ve never seen him before.
-
-
What a Dad
- By Martha Maderal on 10-21-21
By: Jamie Foxx
-
The Rainbow Comes and Goes
- A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss
- By: Anderson Cooper
- Narrated by: Anderson Cooper, Gloria Vanderbilt
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Though Anderson Cooper has always considered himself close to his mother, his intensely busy career as a journalist for CNN and CBS affords him little time to spend with her. After she suffers a brief but serious illness at the age of ninety-one, they resolve to change their relationship by beginning a yearlong conversation unlike any they have ever had before. The result is a correspondence of surprising honesty and depth in which they discuss their lives, the things that matter to them, and what they still want to learn about each other.
-
-
Enjoyed the early parts
- By Dedrick on 07-06-16
By: Anderson Cooper
-
Sisters First
- Stories from Our Wild and Wonderful Life
- By: Jenna Bush Hager, Barbara Pierce Bush, Laura Bush - foreword
- Narrated by: Jenna Bush Hager, Barbara Pierce Bush, Laura Bush
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born into a political dynasty, Jenna and Barbara Bush grew up in the public eye. As small children, they watched their grandfather become president; just 12 years later they stood by their father's side when he took the same oath. They spent their college years being trailed by the Secret Service and chased by the paparazzi, with every teenage mistake making national headlines. But the tabloids didn't tell the whole story of these two young women forging their own identities under extraordinary circumstances.
-
-
Family & Global Connection: It Is Wonderful
- By Herstory buff on 12-05-17
By: Jenna Bush Hager, and others
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)
What listeners say about Becoming Grandma
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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;)
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- 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.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!