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Stray
- A Memoir
- Narrated by: Alex McKenna
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
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Publisher's summary
From the best-selling author of Sweetbitter, a memoir of growing up in a family shattered by lies and addiction, and of one woman's attempts to find a life beyond the limits of her past. Stray is a moving, sometimes devastating, brilliantly written, and ultimately inspiring exploration of the landscapes of damage and survival.
After selling her first novel - a dream she'd worked long and hard for - Stephanie Danler knew she should be happy. Instead, she found herself driven to face the difficult past she'd left behind a decade ago: a mother disabled by years of alcoholism, further handicapped by a tragic brain aneurysm; a father who abandoned the family when she was three, now a meth addict in and out of recovery. After years in New York City she's pulled home to Southern California by forces she doesn't totally understand, haunted by questions of legacy and trauma. Here, she works toward answers, uncovering hard truths about her parents and herself as she explores whether it's possible to change the course of her history.
Lucid and honest, heart-breaking and full of hope, Stray is an examination of what we inherit and what we don't have to, of what we have to face in ourselves to move forward, and what it's like to let go of one's parents in order to find a peace - and family - of one's own.
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Critic reviews
"I read Stray on the edge of my seat. This is a story of triumph: the triumph of grit, talent, grace, and beauty over the dark pull of inner demons. I'll be thinking about the courage it took to write this book for a long time to come." (Dani Shapiro, author of Inheritance)
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- Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcome.
- By: Rebecca Soffer, Gabrielle Birkner
- Narrated by: Meredith Mitchell, Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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At a time when we mourn public figures and national tragedies with hashtags, where intimate posts about loss go viral and we receive automated birthday reminders for dead friends, it's clear we are navigating new terrain without a road map. Let's face it: Most of us have always had a difficult time talking about death and sharing our grief. We're awkward and uncertain; we avoid, ignore, or even deny feelings of sadness; we offer platitudes; we send sympathy bouquets whittled out of fruit.
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Not What I Was Expecting
- By Bessie Mae on 03-01-23
By: Rebecca Soffer, and others
What listeners say about Stray
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 05-30-20
Fascinating Story of a Complicated Childhood
Stray is so honest and freshly told that it feels unique among the countless stories of complicated and hurtful childhoods. What made the story bearable was how Stephanie Danler's powerful personality shone through the neglect and abuses of her parents.
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- Denna Babul
- 05-31-20
The dance of the author and her father’s severed relationship is one I have also had to navigate.
Any book about family dynamics pulls me in, but Stray stopped me in my tracks. The dance of the author and her father’s severed relationship is one I have also had to navigate. @smdanler did it beautifully. This book is imperfectly perfect. A must read.
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- Jeanne M Servais
- 09-22-20
Hard story to listen to but I couldn't stop
Thank you Stephanie for sharing your life with us. I love the way you write and your choice of words. You effectively weave the reader into the threads of your life and we can feel the difficulty and hurt you've lived. A therapeutic journey that tugged at my heart. I wanted to reach out and give you a virtual bear hug. I also loved Alex McKenna's voice. Great narrator!
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- Concern Therapist
- 06-03-20
Beautifully weaved story
This book weaves time and trauma, struggles and success, it flows through lives touched by love, hate, passion, friendship, discovery and self awareness. Danler’s skill at writing brings the reader smoothly into the lives of her characters, you know them and understand their psyches. Beautifully read by Alex McKenna. I recommend this book to every parent, young adult and all readers who enjoy a good book. I only wish it was longer, perhaps there will be a sequel!
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- melinda
- 10-23-20
Powerful
Absolutely relatable and masterly written.
Most arthurs fall short of fully capturing the importance of humanizing the person dealing with the life long effects of generational dysfunction.
Awhile still emphasizing on the importance of the individuals responsibly of self evaluation and the experience they have contribute to themselves, while on their journey of self discovery.
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- Andrea Frascisco
- 02-22-23
Unsure
Overall very dark, sad and depressing story with just a little bit of light at the end. I didn’t dislike the writing style but I couldn’t really empathise nor find common ground with any of the characters.
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- Amy DeHaan
- 07-15-20
Liked it....but didn’t love
It was okay....I didnt exchange it but wished I used my credit on another book. The story was okay, a bit scattered but still a little interesting. There was just something missing.
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- Donna
- 10-14-20
just middle of the road ok. doesn't go deep enough
struggled to finish. not enough guts to the subject matter. surface story only. too much surface. needed to tell why
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- Sally
- 02-17-22
Painfully awful story and character
Literally the worst book I've ever read. I cannot comprehend how such a straight piece of hot garbage has such a high average star rating. Zero stars.
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- MichelleRN
- 09-27-23
Well written but … gaw..
On and on/ a difficult childhood, but not deprived- intelligent but self destructive- it goes on and on- just a dreary tale…
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