
Stronger
Courage, Hope, and Humor in My Life with John McCain
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 $18.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Cindy McCain
-
By:
-
Cindy McCain
About this listen
In Stronger, the widow of Senator John McCain opens up about her beloved husband, their 38-year marriage, and the trials and triumphs of a singular American life.
Named One of the Best Books of the Year by New York Post
“At once a love letter to her late husband...and an indictment of the party-line politics he fought against.... This is the Cindy McCain we suspected was at his side for so many years.” (Time)
Cindy Hensley was just out of college when she met and fell in love with the celebrated Navy hero John McCain. They embarked on a thrilling life together that put her at the center of American politics for over four decades. Stronger, her moving and inspiring memoir, tells the story of her adventurous life with John for the first time.
Raising their four children in Arizona while John flourished as a six-term senator in Washington, DC, Cindy McCain brought her own flair to the role of political wife. She eagerly supported John’s career even as she tried hard to stay out of the spotlight and maintain her own health and well-being. In Stronger, she is honest in revealing her own successes and missteps, discussing how she dealt with political attacks targeting her children, her battle with opioid addiction, and the wild whirl of campaigning for president.
As they built their life together, Cindy and John continued the multi-generation McCain tradition of service to country. With both immense pride and deep worry, she sent two sons off to active duty in the military. She describes her own brave efforts bringing medical support to countries in crisis and empowering women in Africa and around the world. And she reveals her feelings about the tumultuous effects of the Trump presidency on the military.
Most important, this book shares how John’s humor and strength helped Cindy grow into the confident woman she is now. More than a political story, Stronger is the unforgettable journey of one woman who believes in family, honor, and country - and is willing to stand up for all of them.
©2021 Random House Audio (P)2021 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Enough
- By: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Narrated by: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since a childhood visit to Washington, DC, Cassidy Hutchinson aspired to serve her country in government. Raised in a working-class family with a military background, she was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Despite having no ties to Washington, Hutchinson landed a vital position at the center of the Trump White House.
-
-
Painful
- By Melissa C. on 09-28-23
-
Both/And
- A Life in Many Worlds
- By: Huma Abedin
- Narrated by: Huma Abedin
- Length: 21 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The daughter of Indian and Pakistani intellectuals and advocates, Abedin grew up in the United States and Saudi Arabia and traveled widely. Both/And grapples with family, legacy, identity, faith, marriage, motherhood - and work - with wisdom, sophistication, grace, and clarity.
-
-
Amazing book, absolutely recommended!
- By Prerit Pramod on 11-05-21
By: Huma Abedin
-
Where the Light Enters
- Building a Family, Discovering Myself
- By: Jill Biden
- Narrated by: Jill Biden
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"How did you get this number?" Those were the first words Jill Biden spoke to US senator Joe Biden when he called her out of the blue to ask her on a date. Growing up, Jill had wanted two things: a marriage like her parents' - strong, loving, and full of laughter - and a career. An early heartbreak had left her uncertain about love until she met Joe. But as they grew closer, Jill faced difficult questions: How would politics shape her family and professional life? And was she ready to become a mother to Joe's two young sons?
-
-
Wonderfully Jill
- By AmazonUserInNYC on 05-07-19
By: Jill Biden
-
Bad Republican
- By: Meghan McCain
- Narrated by: Meghan McCain
- Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her intimate, first audio memoir, Meghan McCain finds herself at a transitional moment: With the passing of her war-hero father and the birth of her daughter Liberty, Meghan realizes she’s becoming a different woman. Known as a Republican rebel and a departing cohost of The View, new mom Meghan McCain tells her story - in her own words. She invites listeners inside the unwavering heart and ferocious mind of a young conservative woman who refuses to back down.
-
-
Entertaining! With a few flaws
- By KyraAnne on 10-22-21
By: Meghan McCain
-
Astor
- The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune
- By: Anderson Cooper, Katherine Howe
- Narrated by: Anderson Cooper
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From 1783, when German immigrant John Jacob Astor first arrived in the United States, until 2009, when Brooke Astor’s son, Anthony Marshall, was convicted of defrauding his elderly mother, the Astor name occupied a unique place in American society. The family fortune, first made by a beaver trapping business that grew into an empire, was then amplified by holdings in Manhattan real estate. Over the ensuing generations, Astors ruled Gilded Age New York society and inserted themselves into political and cultural life, but also suffered the most famous loss on the Titanic.
-
-
A family first made, then destroyed by wealth.
- By Barbara W. on 09-23-23
By: Anderson Cooper, and others
-
Going There
- By: Katie Couric
- Narrated by: Katie Couric
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than forty years, Katie Couric has been an iconic presence in the media world. In her brutally honest, hilarious, heartbreaking memoir, she reveals what was going on behind the scenes of her sometimes tumultuous personal and professional life—a story she’s never shared, until now.
-
-
Walk Down Memory Lane 4 Me
- By Sedona Woman on 10-27-21
By: Katie Couric
-
Enough
- By: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Narrated by: Cassidy Hutchinson
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever since a childhood visit to Washington, DC, Cassidy Hutchinson aspired to serve her country in government. Raised in a working-class family with a military background, she was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Despite having no ties to Washington, Hutchinson landed a vital position at the center of the Trump White House.
-
-
Painful
- By Melissa C. on 09-28-23
-
Both/And
- A Life in Many Worlds
- By: Huma Abedin
- Narrated by: Huma Abedin
- Length: 21 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The daughter of Indian and Pakistani intellectuals and advocates, Abedin grew up in the United States and Saudi Arabia and traveled widely. Both/And grapples with family, legacy, identity, faith, marriage, motherhood - and work - with wisdom, sophistication, grace, and clarity.
-
-
Amazing book, absolutely recommended!
- By Prerit Pramod on 11-05-21
By: Huma Abedin
-
Where the Light Enters
- Building a Family, Discovering Myself
- By: Jill Biden
- Narrated by: Jill Biden
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"How did you get this number?" Those were the first words Jill Biden spoke to US senator Joe Biden when he called her out of the blue to ask her on a date. Growing up, Jill had wanted two things: a marriage like her parents' - strong, loving, and full of laughter - and a career. An early heartbreak had left her uncertain about love until she met Joe. But as they grew closer, Jill faced difficult questions: How would politics shape her family and professional life? And was she ready to become a mother to Joe's two young sons?
-
-
Wonderfully Jill
- By AmazonUserInNYC on 05-07-19
By: Jill Biden
-
Bad Republican
- By: Meghan McCain
- Narrated by: Meghan McCain
- Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her intimate, first audio memoir, Meghan McCain finds herself at a transitional moment: With the passing of her war-hero father and the birth of her daughter Liberty, Meghan realizes she’s becoming a different woman. Known as a Republican rebel and a departing cohost of The View, new mom Meghan McCain tells her story - in her own words. She invites listeners inside the unwavering heart and ferocious mind of a young conservative woman who refuses to back down.
-
-
Entertaining! With a few flaws
- By KyraAnne on 10-22-21
By: Meghan McCain
-
Astor
- The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune
- By: Anderson Cooper, Katherine Howe
- Narrated by: Anderson Cooper
- Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From 1783, when German immigrant John Jacob Astor first arrived in the United States, until 2009, when Brooke Astor’s son, Anthony Marshall, was convicted of defrauding his elderly mother, the Astor name occupied a unique place in American society. The family fortune, first made by a beaver trapping business that grew into an empire, was then amplified by holdings in Manhattan real estate. Over the ensuing generations, Astors ruled Gilded Age New York society and inserted themselves into political and cultural life, but also suffered the most famous loss on the Titanic.
-
-
A family first made, then destroyed by wealth.
- By Barbara W. on 09-23-23
By: Anderson Cooper, and others
-
Going There
- By: Katie Couric
- Narrated by: Katie Couric
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than forty years, Katie Couric has been an iconic presence in the media world. In her brutally honest, hilarious, heartbreaking memoir, she reveals what was going on behind the scenes of her sometimes tumultuous personal and professional life—a story she’s never shared, until now.
-
-
Walk Down Memory Lane 4 Me
- By Sedona Woman on 10-27-21
By: Katie Couric
-
Being Henry
- The Fonz . . . and Beyond
- By: Henry Winkler
- Narrated by: Henry Winkler
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Henry Winkler, launched into prominence as “The Fonz” in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.
-
-
Sweet human
- By Lisa Singer on 11-07-23
By: Henry Winkler
-
The Light We Carry
- Overcoming in Uncertain Times
- By: Michelle Obama
- Narrated by: Michelle Obama
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There may be no tidy solutions or pithy answers to life’s big challenges, but Michelle Obama believes that we can all locate and lean on a set of tools to help us better navigate change and remain steady within flux. In The Light We Carry, she opens a frank and honest dialogue with listeners, considering the questions many of us wrestle with: How do we build enduring and honest relationships? How can we discover strength and community inside our differences? What tools do we use to address feelings of self-doubt or helplessness? What do we do when it all starts to feel like too much?
-
-
Very Disappointing—Too Ego-filled
- By Patricia Webb on 11-29-22
By: Michelle Obama
-
Renegade
- Defending Democracy and Liberty in Our Divided Country
- By: Adam Kinzinger, Michael D'Antonio - contributor
- Narrated by: Adam Kinzinger
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On January 6, 2021, Donald Trump incited a violent mob to storm the US Capitol in attempts to overturn the presidential election. It was a betrayal of our Constitution, and one of the darkest days in recent history. Yet to former congressman Adam Kinzinger it was also the culmination of a cultural and political rupture he’d long seen coming. Constructive criticism from within the Republican Party was no longer enough. It was time to stand up, even if it meant betraying his own party.
-
-
Critical Work
- By Red P on 11-02-23
By: Adam Kinzinger, and others
-
Dinners with Ruth
- A Memoir of Friendship
- By: Nina Totenberg
- Narrated by: Nina Totenberg
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Four years before Nina Totenberg was hired at NPR, where she cemented her legacy as a prizewinning reporter, and nearly twenty-two years before Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court, Nina called Ruth. A reporter for The National Observer, Nina was curious about Ruth’s legal brief, asking the Supreme Court to do something revolutionary: declare a law that discriminated “on the basis of sex” to be unconstitutional. That call launched a remarkable, nearly fifty-year friendship.
-
-
Not quite what I expected
- By Debra Malone on 09-23-22
By: Nina Totenberg
-
Enough Already
- Learning to Love the Way I Am Today
- By: Valerie Bertinelli
- Narrated by: Valerie Bertinelli
- Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Behind the curtain of her happy on-screen persona, Valerie Bertinelli’s life has been no easy ride, especially when it comes to her own self-image and self-worth. She waged a war against herself for years, learning to equate her value to her appearance as a child star on One Day at a Time and punishing herself in order to fit into the unachievable Hollywood mold. She struggled to make her marriage to Eddie Van Halen—the true love of her life—work, despite all the rifts the rock-star lifestyle created between them.
-
-
Added politics opinion not relevant to story. Wish I could get credit for. Did not chose this for a political opinion.
- By jaci o on 01-18-22
-
The Boys
- A Memoir of Hollywood and Family
- By: Ron Howard, Clint Howard
- Narrated by: Ron Howard, Clint Howard, Bryce Dallas Howard
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Happy Days, The Andy Griffith Show, Gentle Ben - these shows captivated millions of TV viewers in the ’60s and ’70s. Join award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard and audience-favorite actor Clint Howard as they frankly and fondly share their unusual family story of navigating and surviving life as sibling child actors.
-
-
The recording is awful, loud and then quiet
- By Sandy Williams on 10-16-21
By: Ron Howard, and others
-
River of Time
- My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope
- By: Naomi Judd, Marcia Wilkie
- Narrated by: Naomi Judd, Carolyn Cook
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The world knows Naomi Judd as one of the most successful and best-loved country music stars ever. What the world hasn't known - until now - is that after her 2010 and 2011 North American tour with Wynonna, Naomi fell into a debilitating and terrifying depression that seemingly came out of nowhere. Just months after the successful tour ended, Naomi truly believed she had every reason to end her life.
-
-
Horrible Book
- By SLR on 03-12-17
By: Naomi Judd, and others
-
Mixed Plate
- Chronicles of an All-American Combo
- By: Jo Koy
- Narrated by: Jo Koy
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A stunning, hilarious memoir displaying Koy’s “wide-ranging comedic talent and abundant wells of perseverance” (Kirkus Reviews, starred). Mixed Plate illuminates the burning drive and unique humor that make Jo Koy one of today’s most successful comedians.
-
-
Good listen, but much profanity
- By M. Kienbaum Aldape on 08-04-21
By: Jo Koy
-
The Restless Wave
- Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations
- By: John McCain, Mark Salter
- Narrated by: John McCain, Beau Bridges
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a time when Washington, DC and the country are more polarized than they have been for decades, John McCain is the rare public figure who has earned the respect of people on both sides of the aisle. He is a model for bipartisanship and political integrity. In his 40 years in politics, McCain has never been afraid to buck trends or ruffle a few feathers. His words are more important today than ever.
-
-
A true patriot
- By Diane Peresie on 05-29-18
By: John McCain, and others
-
Becoming
- By: Michelle Obama
- Narrated by: Michelle Obama
- Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites listeners into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her - from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work to her time spent at the world's most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it - in her own words and on her own terms.
-
-
Didn't know what I was getting into
- By Kenneth Woodward on 12-05-18
By: Michelle Obama
-
Spare
- By: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
- Narrated by: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
- Length: 15 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.
-
-
Gutterball!
- By Jimmyjoejangles on 01-10-23
-
Hello, Molly!
- A Memoir
- By: Molly Shannon, Sean Wilsey
- Narrated by: Molly Shannon
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At age four, Molly Shannon’s world was shattered when she lost her mother, baby sister, and cousin in a car accident with her father at the wheel. Held together by her tender and complicated relationship with her grieving father, Molly was raised in a permissive household where her gift for improvising and role-playing blossomed alongside the fearlessness that would lead her to become a celebrated actress.
-
-
Molly is a superstar!!!
- By Marlene on 04-29-22
By: Molly Shannon, and others
Critic reviews
"Cindy McCain shares her front row seat to the life and times of the late six-term senator [John McCain] in an account that makes it a worthwhile read.” (NPR)
“[A] bracing volume.” (The Washington Post)
“There are a handful of great American families in politics that have risen to the rank of legend. The Kennedys and the Bushes, the Rockefellers and the Roosevelts. But perhaps no mythology has been nursed with such purpose and a sense of national service than that of the McCains - and not without good cause or true mission.... Cindy McCain’s memoir...is at once a love-letter to her late husband, who died of brain cancer in 2018, and an indictment of the party-line politics he fought against. It’s also a late cry for help in a political system that still expects spouses to be mute and insists successful women married to politicians defer to the men whose names are on ballots.... This is the Cindy McCain we suspected was at his side for so many years, but who chose to stay out of the political fray so as not to cause trouble for her husband.... Her writing is replete with the famed tales that make the McCain legend so compelling.... With this memoir, the still-committed Republican is signaling that the grit that defines the McCain brand in American political life and its mythology is still here.” (Time)
What listeners say about Stronger
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- David Stone
- 08-02-21
You made me want to be better
I loved your book. I am going through a very difficult time personally, I have
Incredible kids and a lot to be grateful for. Unlike your marriage, mine is ending in divorce. Your love story and gift of giving was just what I needed. Thank you for sharing your story. BTW-I have never written a review in at least 10 years.
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
- Deborah S.
- 06-21-21
Beautiful Love Story
This was an endearing story of John & Cindy; their love, commitment, strength, loyalty, and the sorrow of losing John. Grief is not described but rather how they still walk through life together on the well built path they created together. Their spirits are connected and woven through family friends and dedication to serve. Lovely book. Not enough John McCains in this world.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John
- 02-03-24
Revealing & Heartfelt, Love it!
Cindy McCain is my new hero. Loved how Mrs. McCain told the many stories of her husband and herself. She has experienced more than almost anyone I know - and through her leadership has emerged stronger. A hero for our time & beyond. Definitely a page turner, you won’t want to miss anything!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Laurie Mendoza
- 08-09-21
Awesome Book!
I enjoyed everything about this book. It is well written, flows nicely, tells an interesting story and pulls at your soul to look at yourself in the mirror and get involved in something bigger than yourself. But ultimately it's about compassion and love of a spouse, children, service, people, country and self. The narration is great. Thank you Cindy McCain for sharing your story! ❤👍
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
- Ann-Karen Weller
- 07-21-21
Excellent story
This was a very touching story of love devotion and integrity. an example that others can live by.
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
- Laura
- 01-04-23
Faith, Hope and Joy
For all Americans, this is why we have a democracy. Cindy MacCain is an excellent author to write and tell of her beloved John.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- SP
- 01-23-24
Important, touching and relevant
Easy to listen to Cindy Mc Cain’s voice. Important and relevant information was voiced through people and experiences. This book will be one of our books choices for our book club.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- T.M.
- 05-13-21
Moving!
What an amazing, touching and inspiring story. One of the best memoirs I've listened too. Great story and great performance by the author.
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
- Amazon Customer
- 08-25-21
From my Democratic perspective
As an AZ Dem I had some preconceived beliefs and started listening not objectively. I was pleasantly surprised. Gov programs or free market growth are not exclusive, we all are proud Americans. Job well done.
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
- Cherie
- 02-11-25
Heartwarming
Cindy has a way of sharing her story that is heartwarming, courageous and poignant.
She is a straight shot, honest & compelling, yet not apologetic or blamesetting.
Loved everything about this book. You learn about Cindy as a wife, mother & human rights activist. With humor tossed in for fun!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!