Won’t Be Silent
Embracing My Superpowers of Humor and Optimism to Survive Being Second-Generation Holocaust, Coming Out, Addiction, and Endless Unbelievable Obstacles
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Won’t Be Silent
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Narrated by:
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Abe Gurko
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By:
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Abe Gurko
About this listen
In his debut memoir, Won’t Be Silent, Abe Gurko invites you to join him in celebrating a life that he calls “finally worth living.” It’s an honest, rollicking ride filled with joyous and life-affirming as well as challenging, daunting, and heartbreaking situations that he navigates with aplomb, though not always.
Abe’s bohemian odyssey kicks off in the dregs of New Jersey, sashays through the velvet ropes of Studio 54, ricochets to and from Hollywood, comes out at the Gucci store in Florence, and meanders through Mexico, Amsterdam, and halfway to heaven (or was it hell?) and back.
Armed with a razor-sharp wit, Abe has embraced the uncanny instincts and DNA passed down by parents who survived the Holocaust. Their legacy becomes his badge of honor and serves as a tribute to them. It also gives him the fortitude, confidence, and courage to rise from setbacks and heartbreaks.
Won’t Be Silent is a poignant reminder—when life throws lemons, those challenges don’t define us. We can embrace our better angels and maintain our dignity and integrity because, in the end, that’s what really matters.
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What listeners say about Won’t Be Silent
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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
- LadyDee
- 05-07-24
Won't be silent
I loved his political views 💯 i identify with childhood.
I enjoyed his sense of humor & the sound of his voice kept my attention. Loved the whole 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
- AJD
- 04-20-24
Won’t Be Silent - A Wonderful Reminder
There are moments when stories hit - for a reason. This memoir, penned against the backdrop of his parents’ Holocaust survival, isn’t just a necessary one…but reminds us that trauma, and a legacy of “otherness” is an unwelcome inheritance, passed down from one generation to the next. There are too many reasons why I liked this book, and were anyone to live the life Abe has lived thus far - they too would have an obligation to share it! Funny, insightful, inspiring, heart-wrenching (and affirming)…I for one, can’t wait for all the sidebars and “but that’s a story for another time” tidbits to find their way into a subsequent collection of reminiscences and Abe-ventures! I laughed, I cried, it was WAY better than “Cats”!
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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
- Mystery Maven
- 07-19-24
Mystery Maven
Far from my usual genre, but so glad I took the plunge. I follow Abe on social media and have always been impressed with his posts. This book, top shelf. Honest, sincere, funny and well worth the listen. I highly recommend this author/narrator. Thank you Abe!
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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
- Me
- 07-27-24
Warmth in Defiance of the Chill is Abe Gurko
Abe Gurko's first memoir, "Won't Be Silent", is a poignant, powerful, piquant listen. I bought it in audiobook form because I listen in the car and while doing other things. I found myself stopping to concentrate, a lot. Balancing his humor, strength and vulnerabilities, his resilience is in the reader's mind as he shares a delicious bohemian American journey from the 1960s to now. Abe is someone who has most likely forgotten more lives than the rest of us have lived and the shadows of his family's past added profound depth to his story. His life in Hollywood working with A-list notables was wild. His life on the east coast filled with challenges as Americans fought for civil rights at home and freedom abroad was a hell of a time to come of age. His story kept bouncing back and forth in a dance I was happy to learn. It was as balanced as it was riveting and reflective of the times themselves. Abe discovered who he was, where he came from, what he liked, who he loved and who he could love, and it was incredible. Finding out he could ultimately love himself, was the best part of his story for me. Being Jewish, an only child, a child of survivors and gay, in the 1960’s, 70s and 80s, when everyone had a deeper closet than anyone should ever have, had to have been tough enough. Abe's entire history is woven with the threads of unimaginable suffering and near constant threat of bullying and persecution. His parents' survival of their first hand experiences is a testament to a resilience few of us will ever know. Passing that onto Abe to join his own first hand experiences is the stuff that echoes through generations. His humor was infectious and I laughed outloud several times even though his story is so deep. Abe's voice in the audiobook is warm and soft and engaging even when it bevels with emotion as he recounts challenges and life lessons. I was grateful to learn it all. A perfect read for anyone seeking a story that will leave them feeling seen, heard, and maybe even a little bit braver about a life well lived and with purpose.
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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
- Sam
- 05-04-24
Beautiful Journey
Amazing! Very well constructed and presented. Abe can paint scenes in your head with his words. Being able to follow the ups, downs and his never-ending perseverance, is inspiring.
5/5 Awesome, awesome, awesome!! Thank you for sharing your life’s journey!! Highly recommend.
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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
- Anonymous User
- 09-14-24
A different perspective from a child of a holocaust survivor
I follow Abe on TikTok. I admire his outspoken approach towards politics and calling out BS. Listening to his memoir, I had no idea what to expect. His story is gripping which made it easy to listen all the way through. From his family’s background, his upbringing, his club days at Studio 54, he shares his trails and tribulations that led him to the person he is now. I came out having a deeper respect for him. I hope he writes more.
Also, who can’t help but enjoy listening to his gravelly voice. 😁
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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
- Gregory/Natalie Hofer
- 08-26-24
The emotion and feeling came through
I love that it’s in the authors own voice. He has a gift of telling a story. It is vivid, detailed, and filled with emotion. I could not stop listening, it had me engaged from the beginning.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Erik White
- 05-06-24
Resilience and Humour
A great book and story, listened to it in one day. Abe’s revealing tale is inspiring and fascinating. A great take on life, struggles, resilience, persistence, love, faith, and honor. Highly recommend.
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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
- Greg Bashem
- 07-03-24
Perseverance making us safer.
I laughed, got angry so I cried tears of sadness but also of happiness. This audio book is a history of how America handled the excesses of the 80’s to the culture divide of the recent decade. Abe’s voice puts a tingle in my toes, that is a good thing! Abe is a voice for his heritage, his sexual preference but most of all, he is voice for us all on how we must unite against evil. :)
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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
- Amazon Customer
- 07-19-24
Inspiring!
This book is raw, funny, sad and uplifting!! Highly recommend! Abe’s narration adds so much to the stories of his life. I can’t wait for the next one.
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