The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness
A True Story
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Narrated by:
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Joel ben Izzy
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By:
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Joel ben Izzy
About this listen
Once upon a time, a successful storyteller lost his voice to throat cancer. Deprived of the instrument of his art and his livelihood, he retreated into dark, sullen silence and depression. While searching for a spiritual explanation, he encountered his former mentor, a cantankerous and often drunken old man. Their meetings began a journey into the timeless wisdom of ancient tales: of beggars and kings, monks and tigers, lost horses, buried treasures, and ultimately the secret of happiness.
In this altogether original book, Joel ben Izzy shares his personal account of surviving loss, gaining wisdom, and rediscovering one's true purpose. Weaving in tales he's collected over the years from Sufi, Muslim, Chinese, Jewish, Iraqi, Zen Buddhist, Italian, and Indian cultures, he passes along the lessons he has learned. As we travel with ben Izzy from tragedy back into light and sound, we are encouraged to see our own lives as stories, and to open our own hearts to happiness.
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Told through the eyes of the Leongs' secret-keeping daughters and wives and spanning the Boxer Rebellion to Pearl Harbor to 1960s Hawaii, Diamond Head is a breathtakingly powerful tale of tragic love, shocking lies, poignant compromise, aching loss, heroic acts of sacrifice, and miraculous hope.
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- By Gina on 09-06-15
By: Cecily Wong
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Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules (Unabridged Selections)
- By: Edited by David Sedaris
- Narrated by: David Sedaris, Mary-Louise Parker, Cherry Jones
- Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules is a collection of short stories, some classic, others impending, selected and introduced by David Sedaris.
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Great stories but only 5 of 17 are included
- By Terri Kirk on 07-13-12
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The Vine of Desire
- By: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Anju and Sudha formed an astounding, almost psychic connection during their childhood in India. When Anju invites Sudha, a single mother in Calcutta, to come live with her and her husband, Sunil, in California, Sudha foolishly accepts, knowing full well that Sunil has long desired her. As Sunil's attraction rises to the surface, the trio must struggle to make sense of the freedoms of America - and of the ties that bind them to India and to one another.
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Vine of desire
- By Mz Shantay on 03-27-21
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The Hum and the Shiver
- The Tufa Novels, Book 1
- By: Alex Bledsoe
- Narrated by: Emily Janice Card, Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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No one knows where the Tufa came from or how they ended up in the mountains of east Tennessee. When the first Europeans came to the Smoky Mountains, the Tufa were already there. Dark-haired and enigmatic, they live quietly in the hills and valleys of Cloud County, their origins lost to history. But there are clues in their music, hidden in the songs they have passed down for generations.
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Excellent story that combines music and folklore
- By T. L. Walker on 10-01-15
By: Alex Bledsoe
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The One-in-a-Million Boy
- By: Monica Wood
- Narrated by: Chris Ciulla
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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For years, guitarist Quinn Porter has been on the road, chasing gig after gig, largely absent to his twice-ex-wife Belle and their odd, Guinness records-obsessed son. When the boy dies suddenly, Quinn seeks forgiveness for his paternal shortcomings by completing the requirements for one of his son's unfinished Boy Scout badges. For seven Saturdays Quinn does yard work for Ona Vitkus, the spry 104-year-old Lithuanian immigrant the boy had visited weekly.
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Loved it
- By Justin on 10-20-16
By: Monica Wood
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My Soul to Keep
- By: Tananarive Due
- Narrated by: Peter Francis James
- Length: 18 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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When Jessica marries David, he is everything she wants in a family man: brilliant, attentive, ever youthful. Yet she still feels something about him is just out of reach. Soon, as people close to Jessica begin to meet violent, mysterious deaths, David makes an unimaginable confession: More than 400 years ago, he and other members of an Ethiopian sect traded their humanity so they would never die, a secret he must protect at any cost.
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A Book I Can't Keep
- By Mistsofjade on 07-19-20
By: Tananarive Due
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The Canterbury Sisters
- By: Kim Wright
- Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Che Milan's life is falling apart. Not only has her longtime lover abruptly dumped her, but her eccentric, demanding mother has recently died. When an urn of ashes arrives along with a note reminding Che of a half-forgotten promise to take her mother to Canterbury, Che finds herself reluctantly undertaking a pilgrimage. Within days she joins a group of women who are walking the 60 miles from London to the shrine of Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.
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The Canterbury Sisters
- By Melissa on 09-22-19
By: Kim Wright
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All the Winters After
- A Novel
- By: Seré Prince Halverson
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Kachemak Winkel never intended to come back to his hometown of Caboose, Alaska, where his family died in a plane crash 20 years earlier. When he finally musters the courage to return and face his painful memories, he's surprised to find a mysterious young woman living in his abandoned house.
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The Old Old Story
- By Bruce on 06-16-16
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Wonders of the Invisible World
- By: Christopher Barzak
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Seventeen-year-old Aidan Lockwood lives in the sleepy farming community of Temperance, Ohio - known for its cattle ranches and not much else. That is, until Jarrod, a friend he hasn't seen in five years, moves back to town and opens Aidan's eyes in startling ways: to Aidan's ability to see the spirit world; to the red-bearded specter of Death; to a family curse that has claimed the lives of the Lockwood men one by one...and to the new feelings he has developed for Jarrod.
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Sugar coating of L.G.B.T. sprinkles, of all things
- By Eli on 01-19-16
What listeners say about The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Martha Barvin
- 03-01-21
Touched my heart and engaged my mind
Worth listening
Excellent narration and story
Touched my heart and engaged my brain
Thanks for a great book
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- R. M. Chick
- 08-23-19
Wit and Wisdom, Tragedy and Triumph all told with Gentle Humor
Joel’s mixture FOLKLORE, Jokes, Philosophy, History and Biography is FACILITATING, EXHILARATING and COMPELLING! I give The Beggar King my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Lorna Kamemba
- 02-28-24
Amazing listen!
Great story, well told by the author, lots to learn about life, loss and the secret of happiness. Love it
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- Tom Hobbs
- 08-04-19
He Answered my Question from his Performance
I listened twice. Great personal story told with a dozen traditional tales woven in. Similar to Joel's live style. Most powerful to have him use his voice for the Audio book .
Every Storyteller should hear this story.
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- Stephen M. Newman
- 08-13-12
a rare book with wisdom and humor
What did you love best about The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness?
its' profound meaning for me
What did you like best about this story?
it gave me a feeling of framing my own story
Which character – as performed by Joel ben Izzy – was your favorite?
the story about truth
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
both
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- THOMAS W STARKS
- 02-12-23
Short and Sweet
This audio book is Sweet. You can feel the love and preciousness that went into formulating it. It is easily enjoyable, for any age.
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- Jack W.
- 03-27-24
Stories Upon Stories
Powerful story of loss, trial, perspective and gaining true wisdom. Looking forward to adding this to my annual listening library
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- Mitchell Strasner
- 07-24-18
Great story
This is a great story told by a great storyteller. The near ration is great really enjoyed it. I hope to read more by Joel Izzy.
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- Belinda
- 02-17-11
wonderful story
I loved this book. We first found out about Joel Ben Izzy at a music camp where he was an instructor. He is a wonderful storyteller and this is a great book for someone struggling with an illness. It is very insightful and entertaining.
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- Busy Mom
- 02-27-15
Great way to spend the afternoon!
Entertaining and thought-provoking. I enjoyed it very much and will recommend it to my friends and am going to try more of Izzy's stories.
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