Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake

A Memoir of a Woman's Life

By: Anna Quindlen

Narrated by: Anna Quindlen

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

In this irresistible memoir, the New York Times best-selling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Anna Quindlen writes about looking back and ahead - and celebrating it all - as she considers marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, faith, loss, all the stuff in our closets, and more.

As she did in her beloved New York Times columns, and in A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindlen says for us here what we may wish we could have said ourselves. Using her past, present, and future to explore what matters most to women at different ages, Quindlen talks about:

Marriage: “A safety net of small white lies can be the bedrock of a successful marriage. You wouldn’t believe how cheaply I can do a kitchen renovation.”

Girlfriends: “Ask any woman how she makes it through the day, and she may mention her calendar, her to-do lists, her babysitter. But if you push her on how she really makes it through her day, she will mention her girlfriends. Sometimes I will see a photo of an actress in an unflattering dress or a blouse too young for her or with a heavy-handed makeup job, and I mutter, ‘She must not have any girlfriends.’”

Stuff: “Here’s what it comes down to, really: there is now so much stuff in my head, so many years, so many memories, that it’s taken the place of primacy away from the things in the bedrooms, on the porch. My doctor says that, contrary to conventional wisdom, she doesn’t believe our memories flag because of a drop in estrogen but because of how crowded it is in the drawers of our minds. Between the stuff at work and the stuff at home, the appointments and the news and the gossip and the rest, the past and the present and the plans for the future, the filing cabinets in our heads are not only full, they’re overflowing.”

Our bodies: “I’ve finally recognized my body for what it is: a personality-delivery system, designed expressly to carry my character from place to place, now and in the years to come. It’s like a car, and while I like a red convertible or even a Bentley as well as the next person, what I really need are four tires and an engine.”

Parenting: “Being a parent is not transactional. We do not get what we give. It is the ultimate pay-it-forward endeavor: We are good parents not so they will be loving enough to stay with us but so they will be strong enough to leave us.”

From childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, Quindlen uses the events of her own life to illuminate our own. Along with the downsides of age, she says, can come wisdom, a perspective on life that makes it satisfying and even joyful. Candid, funny, moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen’s status as America’s laureate of real life.

©2012 Anna Quindlen (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

“A reporter by training, a storyteller at heart, [Quindlen’s] writing is personal, humorous, and thought-provoking.” ( Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

“Quindlen is an astonishingly graceful writer.” ( San Francisco Examiner)

“Thank goodness for Anna Quindlen. [She] is smart. And compassionate. And witty. And wise.” ( Detroit Free-Press)

Rich, rewarding and so relatable!

I truly enjoyed listening to Anna share her story of her life.Rich, Rewarding and so relatable!

Anna Quindlen's writing resonates

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is a great memoir and includes many facets of a her growth and change as a modern woman. I loved her insights and frank talk. I'm glad she wrote it and read it herself - it rings true.

An Essential for Any Woman

What did you love best about Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake?

There is a chapter on every aspect of being a female and what we learn as we get older. I'm only 1/3 through the book and have bookmarked plenty of moments. I'm 37 and really identify with her. Her description of solitude as a treat and shunning society's changing and contradictory messages about being a woman.

What did you like best about this story?

I love that this is a very honest anecdote. Like having a wise, cool aunt who is not afraid of being honest.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I think there will be more so I will save my applause.

Meaningful Beyond Measure

I thoroughly enjoyed this book especially being read by the author. Now I'm going to go out and buy a hard copy and insist Both of my book clubs read it! Thank you, AQ

Really great read

What made the experience of listening to Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake the most enjoyable?

Love Anna Quindlen's insightful perspectives across the decades of her life. Being able to identify with her experiences as a woman and mother made the book interesting, enriching, and thought provoking. I liked hearing Anna's stories read aloud in her voice.

This hit a chord!

Loved this book so much that I got it for several of my girlfriends. She really nailed so many things for women in our age group! I've listened to it twice and just get new gems each time. Job well done!

Insightful

This book grounds me when I feel adrift. It possesses a mature female viewpoint that is so hard to come by. I appreciate the depth, the cautions, the thoughtful care, and the nuggets of wisdom. Every so often I listen to this. Good nourishment for the female soul.

A wise, thoughtful and insightful book

I’m grateful to have come across this book at the time when I needed the insights, the wisdom and the comfort it has to offer. I highly recommend it to anyone who is facing their own aging and processing their life experiences.

Wise words about Life and daily joy

I feel so fortunate to have listened to Anna's words. She reminded me of much that I have done well and badly over the years, how far we've come, and more. I loved hearing about her family and her push push. The book was like listening to a friend re-tell the story of where we have all been in this life journey. Plus... she's funny.

Anna Quinlan's wonderful memoir.

In this irresistible memoir, the New York Times best-selling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Anna Quindlen writes about looking back and ahead
- and celebrating it all - as she considers marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, faith, loss, all the stuff in our closets, and more.