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Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister
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Joy for Beginners

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Narrator Cassandra Campbell

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Length 7 hours 54 minutes
Language English
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"Moving, touching, wonderfully written, inspiring to read." -Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the RainAt an intimate, festive dinner party in Seattle, six women gather to celebrate their friend Kate's recovery from cancer. Wineglass in hand, Kate strikes a bargain with them. To celebrate her new lease on life, she'll do the one thing that's always terrified her: white-water rafting. But if she goes, all of them will also do something they always swore they'd never do-and Kate is going to choose their adventures.Shimmering with warmth, wit, and insight, Joy for Beginners is a celebration of life: unexpected, lyrical, and deeply satisfying.

Erica Bauermeister is the author of The School of Essential Ingredients, 500 Great Books by Women: A Reader's Guide, Let's Heart It For the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14, and Joy for Beginners. She  was born in Pasadena, California and currently lives in Seattle with her family. Bauermeister received a PhD at the University of Washington. 

Cassandra Campbell is an actress, director, and teacher who has performed in New York at the Public Theater, the Mint Theater, and the Clurman Theatre. She is an accomplished voice-over artist whose credits include numerous audiobooks, documentaries, and commercials in both Italian and English.

Erica Bauermeister is the author of The School of Essential Ingredients, 500 Great Books by Women: A Reader's Guide, Let's Heart It For the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14, and Joy for Beginners. She  was born in Pasadena, California and currently lives in Seattle with her family. Bauermeister received a PhD at the University of Washington. 

Cassandra Campbell is an actress, director, and teacher who has performed in New York at the Public Theater, the Mint Theater, and the Clurman Theatre. She is an accomplished voice-over artist whose credits include numerous audiobooks, documentaries, and commercials in both Italian and English.

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Reviews

Praise for Joy for Beginners

“A joy to read. Bauermeister gives us characters who revel in the best of what life has to offer—loving relationships, fine food, good books, and travel—and she writes with keen observance and wry wit...Readers will be inspired to leap into their own lives with renewed gusto.”—Stephanie Kallos, author of Sing Them Home

“Erica Bauermeister’s prose is evocative and compelling.”—Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

Bauermeister has created a cast of textured and nuanced characters who individually and as a group speak to what makes women interesting and enigmatic. Her prose is velvety smooth, revealing life at once mournful and auspicious. Joyful, indeed.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“How transporting to live, even briefly, inside these women’s lives.”—Laura Hansen, Bookin’ it

“Sensual...evocative...A book designed to fill you up and make you hungry for life.”—Publishers Weekly

Joy for Beginners is ultimately a celebration of life; a literary confirmation of the power of friendship.”—Carol Cassella, author of Oxygen Expand reviews
Celebrate indie bookstores with our limited-time sale! Shop the sale