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Getting to Happy  By  cover art

Getting to Happy

By: Terry McMillan
Narrated by: Terry McMillan, S. Epatha Merkerson, Gloria Reuben, LaChanze
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Editorial reviews

It’s been 15 years and the four women you loved from Waiting to Exhale are back with a few more wrinkles, a few more pounds, but the same old man issues. Savannah (voiced by author Terry McMillan), who was single when we last knew her, has now been married for 10 years and is falling out of love. Robin has a 15-year-old daughter and is trying her hand at internet dating. Bernadine, now twice divorced, is drowning in her prescription drug addiction. And Gloria, the only woman out of the four with a good man and a happy home is dealt a tragic blow, which brings all four of the women even closer in support of their friend. The same personalities that made the original novel so great are still there, but the bitterness and unhappiness that pervades these women’s lives gets tiresome in this sequel.

McMillan’s portrayal of Savannah is especially bitter and acid-laced and one can’t help but wonder if her own failed marriage inspires the tone. The other three characters, voiced by S. Epatha Merkerson, Gloria Reuben, and LaChanze, sound strikingly familiar to the actresses who portrayed the women in the movie Waiting to Exhale. Whether on purpose or not, it’s easy to picture the characters as their on-screen personas and get involved with them all over again.

If you loved Waiting to Exhale and are curious about where these women ended up, this book is worth a listen. But if you’re hoping they all found a happy ending or have learned something about men and love in the past 15 years, you’re bound to be disappointed. Colleen Oakley

Publisher's summary

Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale was more than just a bestselling novel - its publication was a watershed moment in literary history. McMillan's sassy and vibrant story about four African American women struggling to find love and their place in the world touched a cultural nerve, inspired a blockbuster film, and generated a devoted audience.

Now, McMillan revisits Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin fifteen years later. Each is at her own midlife crossroads: Savannah has awakened to the fact that she's made too many concessions in her marriage, and decides to face life single again-at fifty-one. Bernadine has watched her megadivorce settlement dwindle, been swindled by her husband number two, and conned herself into thinking that a few pills will help distract her from her pain. Robin has an all-American case of shopaholism, while the big dream of her life - to wear a wedding dress - has gone unrealized. And for years, Gloria has taken happiness and security for granted. But being at the wrong place at the wrong time can change everything. All four are learning to heal past hurts and to reclaim their joy and their dreams; but they return to us full of spirit, sass, and faith in one another. They've exhaled: now they are learning to breathe.

©2010 Terry McMillan (P)2010 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“The women of Waiting to Exhale have returned.... McMillan fans won't be disappointed.” (Dallas Morning News)

"It's great to meet up with old friends again." (People)

"Required reading for anyone who cared about Waiting to Exhale." (Miami Herald)

What listeners say about Getting to Happy

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Good read...

First time audible book reader, downloaded onto my kindle fire and it's great, the book is a good read as always, Terry McMillan is one of my favorite authors. Will recommend this book to anyone with same likeness for this type of read.

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Love it!

It was amazing. I missed my old friends Bernie, Savannah, Gloria and Robin. So, wonderful to catch up with their lives. Thank you Terry McMillan for this wonderfully listen.

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  • Overall
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Fabulous Read

Call me slow but I did not know "Waiting to Exhale" had a continuation. BUT Lord I'm glad they did. I always wonder if they ever find happiness and Robin and the Baby and about Tyrek going on his musical adventures. Don't forget about Gloria and Marvin and if Bernie gotten with James. And not to forget Savannah I wanted to be like theses Smart Sophisticated Powerful and Strong women in there own right! MAN I GLAD TO GO BACK TO MY ROOT I Started my novel reading with Terry McMillan and plan on finishing her whole collection!!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Highly Recommend

I simply enjoyed listening to this book.
I would highly recommend. i was not disappointed for one second.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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Would've been a better read

The book was GREAT however I didn't enjoy the performance at all. I was really disappointed with some of the narrators. At times it was hard to tell which character was speaking and the tone was dry.
With that being said.... it was still a great story.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Excellent story, poor narration

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, story was very good.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Savannah, she was the character I most understood.

How could the performance have been better?

The readers were not professional. Read too fast, without inflection.

Did Getting to Happy inspire you to do anything?

Not really.

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Terry McMillan Does it Again: Revisiting Friends🙂

This is the second audible I have listened to by Terry McMillan, and I enjoyed revisiting Savannah, Bernardine Gloria, & Robin. l laughed, shook my head, pretended to be a fly on the wall listening to these best friends converse. As always Terry McMillan endings always leave me wondering, asking questions, and wanting more...not wanting the story to end.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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T

Loved this novel and unlike the other reviews I've read, I actually enjoyed Terry's narration!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Getting To Happy

My first book to finish on auto love the book brings back some of the fun times we had family back in the day

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great experience - relatable to life’s journeys!!

Excellent storylines - finally got use to different characters’ tone and reading styles - but it kept you engaged and relating back to the continued curiosity of the movie version of “Waiting to Exhale” - a definite read (or audio on a cruise ship - Lido) 😍

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