Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake
A Memoir of a Woman's Life
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Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake
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Narrated by:
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Anna Quindlen
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By:
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Anna Quindlen
About this listen
In this irresistible memoir, the New York Times best-selling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Anna Quindlen writes about looking back and ahead - and celebrating it all - as she considers marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, faith, loss, all the stuff in our closets, and more.
As she did in her beloved New York Times columns, and in A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindlen says for us here what we may wish we could have said ourselves. Using her past, present, and future to explore what matters most to women at different ages, Quindlen talks about:
Marriage: “A safety net of small white lies can be the bedrock of a successful marriage. You wouldn’t believe how cheaply I can do a kitchen renovation.”
Girlfriends: “Ask any woman how she makes it through the day, and she may mention her calendar, her to-do lists, her babysitter. But if you push her on how she really makes it through her day, she will mention her girlfriends. Sometimes I will see a photo of an actress in an unflattering dress or a blouse too young for her or with a heavy-handed makeup job, and I mutter, ‘She must not have any girlfriends.’”
Stuff: “Here’s what it comes down to, really: there is now so much stuff in my head, so many years, so many memories, that it’s taken the place of primacy away from the things in the bedrooms, on the porch. My doctor says that, contrary to conventional wisdom, she doesn’t believe our memories flag because of a drop in estrogen but because of how crowded it is in the drawers of our minds. Between the stuff at work and the stuff at home, the appointments and the news and the gossip and the rest, the past and the present and the plans for the future, the filing cabinets in our heads are not only full, they’re overflowing.”
Our bodies: “I’ve finally recognized my body for what it is: a personality-delivery system, designed expressly to carry my character from place to place, now and in the years to come. It’s like a car, and while I like a red convertible or even a Bentley as well as the next person, what I really need are four tires and an engine.”
Parenting: “Being a parent is not transactional. We do not get what we give. It is the ultimate pay-it-forward endeavor: We are good parents not so they will be loving enough to stay with us but so they will be strong enough to leave us.”
From childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, Quindlen uses the events of her own life to illuminate our own. Along with the downsides of age, she says, can come wisdom, a perspective on life that makes it satisfying and even joyful. Candid, funny, moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen’s status as America’s laureate of real life.
©2012 Anna Quindlen (P)2012 Random HouseListeners also enjoyed...
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-
Story4 out of 5 stars 353
When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her children, and her closest friend are left to find a way forward without the woman who has been the lynchpin of all their lives. Bill is overwhelmed without his beloved wife, and Annemarie wrestles with the bad habits her best friend had helped her overcome. And Ali, the eldest of Annie’s children, has to grow up overnight, to care for her younger brothers and even her father and to puzzle out for herself many of the mysteries of adult life. Over the course of the next year what saves them all is Annie.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Quindlen’s latest
- By Anonymous User on 03-03-24
By: Anna Quindlen
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One True Thing
- By: Anna Quindlen
- Narrated by: Christina Moore
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 582
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 467
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 467
A young woman sits in jail, accused of the mercy killing of her dying mother. She didn't do it, but she thinks she knows who did. In the last months of her life, Ellen Gulden's mother revealed startling secrets that challenged everything Ellen believed about her family. Now, in jail, Ellen believes those secrets will tell her who had the courage to end her mother's suffering.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Quindlen's writing skills shine in One True Thing.
- By Bonny on 08-26-13
By: Anna Quindlen
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Still Life with Bread Crumbs
- A Novel
- By: Anna Quindlen
- Narrated by: Carrington MacDuffie
- Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,302
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,153
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,154
Still Life with Bread Crumbs begins with an imagined gunshot and ends with a new tin roof. Between the two is a wry and knowing portrait of Rebecca Winter, a photographer whose work made her an unlikely heroine for many women. Her career is now descendent, her bank balance shaky, and she has fled the city for the middle of nowhere. There she discovers, in a tree stand with a roofer named Jim Bates, that what she sees through a camera lens is not all there is to life.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A Gentrified Harlequin
- By Michele Kellett on 03-24-14
By: Anna Quindlen
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Alternate Side
- A Novel
- By: Anna Quindlen
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 588
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 542
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Story3.5 out of 5 stars 543
Some days Nora Nolan thinks that she and her husband, Charlie, lead a charmed life - except when there’s a crisis at work, a leak in the roof at home, or a problem with their twins at college. And why not? New York City was once Nora’s dream destination, and her clannish dead-end block has become a safe harbor, a tranquil village amid the urban craziness. Then one morning she returns from her run to discover that a terrible incident has shaken the neighborhood, and the fault lines begin to open: on the block, at her job, especially in her marriage.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An excellent listen
- By Irene on 03-27-18
By: Anna Quindlen
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Nanaville
- Adventures in Grandparenting
- By: Anna Quindlen
- Narrated by: Cynthia Farrell
- Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 188
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 161
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 159
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.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant moments with her grandson
- By Lili on 05-01-19
By: Anna Quindlen
What listeners say about Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- D
- 05-21-12
Story of our times
What made the experience of listening to Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake the most enjoyable?
I loved it. It is for women of a certain age who have come of age at a particular age. Like Nora Ehpron, Anna Quindlen is trailblazer for those of us who are a few years behind. She talks so frankly about her life and experience as a woman that she talks for us all. There is none of this nonsense that 60 is the new 40. It is about being 60! It is about now. So get over it.
Which character – as performed by Anna Quindlen – was your favorite?
Being herself. That is the joy of being who you are right now.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Julia Grant
- 05-21-12
Truly articulate account of boomer women
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, particularly women or anyone who wants to understand them. In fact, I have recommended it to my children to give them more insight into me, as well as to other women such as my sisters.
What did you like best about this story?
These memoirs, read by the author, are well arranged and resonate amazingly with my own experiences as a woman of similar age.
What about Anna Quindlen???s performance did you like?
Lovely! Feels like she is talking to you personally.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Really, several. Her discussion of mortality was moving. The way she talks about a relates to her children also hit home.
Any additional comments?
I will listen to this again, but, unusually, I will also now go buy the book for handy reference. I hope she follows in the vein of others who have written memoirs, and we will see another when she is 75.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bonny
- 05-30-12
These essays are about much more than aging.
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is the first book of Anna Quindlen's essays that I have read, and I'll admit I approached it with some trepidation. Many of the reviews were just so-so, and after reading (and loving) several of her novels, I did not want to read a so-so Anna Quindlen book. Not every one of the essays in this book spoke to me, but there were several (especially Stuff, Mothering, and Faith) that were so good that they more than make up for the rest.
This book is touted by the publisher as a celebration of aging, and while Quindlen does write about getting older, it is not a precious collection of old-age aphorisms. There were several instances where I began to think that Quindlen might possibly have an easier and more comfortable time growing older than a woman in average circumstances who might not have a country place with a pond to walk around, or affordable healthcare, let alone a trainer who can help her with "the stories she tells herself." But Quindlen does not make apologies; she doesn't preach and she does write with honesty. One of the reasons I like Anna Quindlen's writing is that she makes me think, and she manages to do that here through wonderfully written and thoughtful prose.
What comes across most to me is Quindlen's incredibly deep attachment to her children and to her job as a mother. This is where her writing really shines. She writes ideas that I've also thought about, but she expresses them infinitely better than I could manage myself.
"Being a parent is not transactional. We do not get what we give. It is the ultimate pay-it-forward endeavor: We are good parents not so they will be loving enough to stay with us but so they will be strong enough to leave us."
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Elizabeth
- 11-30-12
Anna has told our familiar story so well!
Would you consider the audio edition of Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake to be better than the print version?
I only have the audio edition, and I love hearing Anna tell her story herself. I probably would not read the print version, given the choice.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake?
There were many; the ongoing and repeated recognition of times and events and interactions that reminded me of my own story will make this book one I listen to over and over.
What about Anna Quindlen’s performance did you like?
Anna reads her own words very well; in her apparently effortless style, she is like a close friend relating her story to me.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, I enjoyed hearing it in bits and pieces...going back and hearing it again. It never gets old.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- elo
- 11-16-16
Very thought provoking
Really enjoyed hearing Anna herself narrate. At 60, she's very insightful into aging, but a bit negative. She hopefully has many more years ahead of her, but seems to act like a 90+ year old in her opinions.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Shelly Polansky
- 08-28-22
Old friend
I’ve been reading Anna’s novels for years. I am so glad she narrated her book herself. I felt like I spent a long hot summer weekend with an old friend talking about children growing up, loosing loved ones and helping parents die with dignity.
My favorite line
“The woman’s rights movement told us we could be more than caregivers and today we are caregivers to more people than ever.”
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nina
- 07-04-12
An insightful tale into wisdom of aging
A wonderfully written memoire in which the author shares her views on aging, generation gaps and what we can all learn from each other young or old. A delightful book to listen to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- thescold40
- 10-28-12
Lots of Memories, Plenty of Pleasant
What did you love best about Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake?
It may be just my age, as Quindlen is just a little older than I, but I felt like I was having coffee with my best read and most articulate friend.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Her husband seems like a lovely man, there aren't that many kind, supportive men in the literature I seem to choose.
Which character – as performed by Anna Quindlen – was your favorite?
Anna herself!
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
She discusses how much she resented leaving college to care for her dying mother, and how her mother tried to give it a positive spin as something to write about later. i found that very moving, It reminded me so much of my own mother, and how much more comfortable mothers are giving than taking.
Any additional comments?
Realistically, this memoir will not appeal to everyone, but if you are of an age to have experienced the early years of the feminist movement, you will really enjoy this entertaining, happy read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lucy
- 06-25-12
bought extra copies for friends
Would you listen to Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake again? Why?
yes. Lots of touching little episodes and phrases that I'd like to remember.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake?
My memory is terrible, so I can't remember memorable moments.
Any additional comments?
I rarely rate and review, because it takes too long, but I did love this book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Adele Marshall
- 06-08-22
Excellent
I really enjoyed this book. I like listening to her thoughts and related to just about all of it. I'm the same age. Every now and then you find a book and it feels like a treasure. That's what this one is. There were moments where I just laughed out loud. Lots of wisdom! It's a very fun read.
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