We Will Survive

True Stories of Encouragement, Inspiration, and the Power of Song

By: Gloria Gaynor, Sue Carswell

Narrated by: Gloria Gaynor

Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Nominated for a 2015 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album

Gloria Gaynor’s #1 hit single "I Will Survive" debuted in 1978 to overwhelming success. Shortly thereafter, the single went double platinum and over three decades later still strikes a chord among men and women everywhere.

Over the years, the disco legend has received thousands of personal messages from adoring fans whose lives have been transformed by this timeless song. Their remarkable stories reveal that "I Will Survive" has reached people from all walks of life and touched their lives in thousands of unique ways. From individuals triumphing over illness to those suffering from the painful loss of a loved one to others piecing their lives together after bearing witness to national tragedy, "I Will Survive" has become an emotional anthem for them and for millions of Gaynor's adoring fans around the world.

In We Will Survive, Gloria shares forty of these inspirational, true stories about survivors of all kinds—individuals who have found comfort, hope, and courage through the power of this one song.

©2013 Gloria Gaynor Fowles (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. "I Will Survive" written by Dino Fekaris and Frederick J. Perren. Universal-PolyGram International Publishing, Inc. on behalf of itself and Perren-Vibes Music, Inc. Used by Permission, all rights reserved.

40 stories about a song most good, some forced

Would you try another book from Gloria Gaynor and Sue Carswell and/or Gloria Gaynor?

Gloria still has to tell her story, the writing here is emotional and would make for another good read written by either of them

What does Gloria Gaynor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The audiobook includes other Gloria Gaynor songs after a series of stories that relate to it, although the book is about her hit "I WIll Survive" there are moments were others are relevant.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No, not all stories were as easy to connect with and by the end the experience was exhaustive

Not bad, some stories were really good

I enjoyed the book. Some stories were better than others. It was tough hearing so many different people all read by the same person. I really didn't like the little musical interludes either. Didn't really need that.

Just OK

Some of the stories were fabulous and some were not so fabulous. It was just ok and would not recommend it to anyone.

Good story but became boring

Maybe if the book was narrated by someone else or someone used to using different voices for the anecdotes and stories I could rate it higher. I reached 50% into the book and became bored because although the stories were different, they sounded the same when read by Gloria. I am sorry but this began to depress rather than inspire me from the stories. I have it on my iPhone and will pick up listening to it in the future but it isn't a book that I could finish without stopping many times.

Uplifting

What did you love best about We Will Survive?

Truly enjoyed listing to Gloria's voice tell these stories including her own.

What was one of the most memorable moments of We Will Survive?

There were several moments that brought tears to my eyes.

Which scene was your favorite?

The music added to the book in a special way.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was great for a car trip.

A Lovely, inspirational experience.

This book is unlike any book I have listened to, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Gloria Gaynor's reading of it was wonderful...I could listen to her voice all day. It was filled with wonder, and not at all preachy. The stories were stories of overcoming a life's sadness or tragedy, but I didn't find them maudlin or depressing, but inspiring in overcoming some pretty overwhelming circumstances. It was fast-paced and I was sorry to see it end. A worthwhile and memorable listening experience.

Beautifully Shared

As one who always listened to Gloria's famous song for comfort, it was a joy to listen to this inspiring book. Each story listed my spirit and reminded me of the beauty and resilience of the human soul. I loved it.

I really enjoyed this book.

I enjoyed listening to the strength and encourage of people surviving life's disappointments. Gloria has a very nice voice.

Hmmmmm.......? NO!

What would have made We Will Survive better?

It shouldn't have been published for mass distribution. This would have been a good - not great - limited edition work from Ms. Gaynor as a personal gift for Christmas, a birthday, or some really intimate event "among family and/or really close friends". But, as a literary work, it just didn't make it for me.

Would you ever listen to anything by Gloria Gaynor and Sue Carswell again?

Not unless Gloria Gaynor writes an honest and interesting memoir. I don't care about Carswell one way or the other. If she's a competent author, I'll give her another chance.

What didn’t you like about Gloria Gaynor’s performance?

Any one who reads my reviews know that I go hard on authors who read their own books unless they are very good narrators FIRST! But I have no patience for anyone who thinks they can do EVERYTHING well! In this case, Gaynor's main talent was as a vocalist - a DISCO vocalist - with less than a SMALL handful of releases - and only one "serious" hit single in 1978. Albeit a disco classic and the rally cry of a generation of feminists and black empowerment. Nothing in that skill-set qualifies a 64 year old woman to be a narrator, especially in the fast growing audiobook industry. I would have listened about 15 minutes past the 30 minutes I wasted on this book if a qualified narrator had been onboard. Maybe..... Maybe not.....

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Nope! It's just a sanitized "work" as useless as petals in the wind.

Any additional comments?

As a record business professional with a 45 year career span in R&B music, I try to support others in my profession. That's why I initially purchased this book without reading other reviews or putting in my usually due diligence. I thought Gaynor was presenting an interesting and novel slant on the tune which has been her theme song for over 35 years. But all I found is an attempt to get one last exploitive squeeze from a song which had its "moment in the sun" 3-1/2 decades ago. I don't have much patience for people who claim one song, composed from ANOTHER person's blood, sweat and tears, changed their life or was overwhelmingly inspirational. As a songwriter myself, I often get letters or emails from "fans" who claim to have been inspired or saved or emotionally supported by something I did a kazillion years ago. However, the idea of compiling all of those much-appreciated communiqués together into a book to be narrated by me and SOLD to others......well, I'm not quite that narcissistic - YET! 😄. (One of my more recent works is a cut by Lil Wayne on his Grammy winning 2008 CD "Tha Carter 3" and the EP "The Leak". Believe me, a lot more than 40 kids have been "inspired" by Lil Wayne and me to smoke that "Kush"! The emails and text messages I get now, while very entertaining at my "advanced age" of 64, are not the stuff of legend - much less in literature! Especially from fans under the influence of marijuana AND extolling its virtues in barely literate 160-characters-or-less "testimonials"!)

I was hoping that Gaynor would have taken this opportunity (and book deal) to give both old school and new school music lovers an intimate look inside the disco and R&B music era, not blow her own horn about one song in a dozen from that time. I just hope "inspirational" books by Helen Reddy ("I Am Woman"), Chaka Khan ("I'm Every Woman") or even James Brown ("Say It Loud - I'm Black & I'm Proud") aren't waiting to roll off the assembly line! 😝

Sorry, Gloria, as another Sister Girl out here trying to collect some last minute "scrilla", I can't recommend this book to anyone!

This kept me going after my husband left me.

My husband had recently announced he was leaving me after 24 years. I was pretty broken up about it when I started listening to this book. It is very inspiring. It would be great for anyone who has suffered a loss. There are stories about people who lost a spouse, a child, a job, were injured in an accident, had suffered a gross betrayal, etc. This book points out that we can survive just about anything if we are determined to do so. P.S.: my husband changed his mind and we are back together. But now I know I can survive such a loss if I ever have to again.