Hungry Heart

Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing

By: Jennifer Weiner

Narrated by: Jennifer Weiner

Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

No matter what was happening in Jennifer Weiner's life - whether good, bad, or very, very ugly - her mother, Fran, would say the same thing: It's all material.

Now the number-one New York Times best-selling author and "one of the biggest names in popular fiction" (USA Today), beloved on Twitter and hailed as "an unlikely feminist enforcer" (The New Yorker), takes the raw stuff of her personal life and spins it into a collection of personal essays as uproariously funny and heartfelt as the best of Tina Fey and Nora Ephron.

Jennifer grew up as an outsider in her picturesque Connecticut hometown ("a Lane Bryant outtake in an Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue") and at her Ivy League college but finally found her people in newsrooms in central Pennsylvania and Philadelphia and her voice as a novelist and New York Times columnist. In her first essay collection, no subject is off-limits: sex, weight, envy, money, the reality of life with a newborn, her mom's newfound lesbianism, her estranged father's death (and Weiner's subsequent attempt to get the funeral home to accept her American Express card, because "if at least I get points, something good will have come of this"). From bad blind dates to modern childbirth to handling her six-year-old daughter's use of the f-word - fat - for the first time Jennifer Weiner goes there, with the wit and candor that have endeared her to readers all over the world.

By turns hilarious and deeply touching, this collection shows that the woman behind treasured novels like Good in Bed and Best Friends Forever is every bit as winning, smart, and honest in real life as she is in her fiction.

©2016 Jennifer Weiner (P)2016 Simon & Schuster

Lovely overall

Overall I enjoyed this greatly. Jennifer Weiner rocks her narration. I appreciated Jennifer's honestly, especially in her reveal of her brutal miscarriage. Occasionally I wondered how she couldn't see that she was rejecting others for the very reasons she felt rejected. But mostly I was impressed by her stellar and engaging writing and her willingness to share.

Needed editing!

I was interested in Jennifer Weiner's story up to the point when she published her first novel. After that the story was repetitious

I wanted this book to be awesome.

I adore all of Je. Over Weiner's books. And when I saw a new one was being released I couldn't wait to read it. I was still excited when I read that it was a memoir. But I just didn't love it. I think Jennifer is a talented writer whose characters connect and resonate with her fans. However, I found Jennifer, being Jennifer, was a bit of a whiner and made me dislike her. Case in point her discussing her father letting her down because she was pulled from the registration line at Princeton (could she not have referred to it as college?) and later having to take out, gasp, a student loan. Also, someone should have insisted on cutting the whole section about tweets and social media. Awful. I felt like she wasn't very relatable as a real person. Still love her books and will read her future writing. Just didn't love this book.

My favourite Jennifer Weiner book so far!

It's probably odd when you like one of your favourite authors' memoir best of all her great fiction you've read so far. That's probably my fault as sometimes I think works of fiction have to try too hard in today's marketplace to create the sufficient drama of a 3 act novel. Jennifer is so real and honest in this recounting of all she's been through to get to where she is. Her narration is fun and a pleasure to listen to. Whether you are struggling in life or not, and I think we are all struggling to some extent, I hope you'll give this a read or a listen. Even if you don't agree with everything she says or stands for, at least she stands. Well done Jennifer!

for lovers of all things Jenifer Weiner :)

It was a great insight to everything ms Weiner is. I love her humour and storytelling abilitys so much. I always call her my realism reading. Looking forward to more great works in the future. Love, your biggest fan of 18 yrs Amy Victoria

Now I Want to Read Her Books

I didn't know Jennifer Weiner begore now. Maybe because I'm not quite her audience, but I am a not skinny writer and editor who started in newspapers, lived in Philly, and lives chick lit, so I felt connected and enthralled by her stories. Makes me want to read her books now.

Entertaining

Overall this book was entertaining. I do love Jennifer's books and was interested to hear about her. I found most of the book interesting but there were areas I thought dragged on. I could have skipped all the tweets and details about all her pets. There were also a few story highlights that repeated.
However I will continue to be a fan of hers and applaud her courage in writing her own story.

Loved this!!!

Loved this book. Ms. Weiner is so relatable. I have enjoyed each and every one of her books and this look in to her life even more so. She is, hands down, my favorite author.

A Story for our daughters

Loved this story! All.our daughters should have this book! Easy read with lots of good advice. We could all use that!

Her BEST book yet!

Would you listen to Hungry Heart again? Why?

"Hungry Heart" is funny, sad, honest and from the heart. I have been a fan Jennifer Weiner's books since the beginning and I think her latest books is the best yet!

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the honesty and the ability to relate with this book. Most women are a size 12+, have older parents to care for, problematic home lives and growing pains. Life is full of good and bad moments and it is nice to hear someone else's story to know that other people go through things also. Real life is not a fairy tail.

What about Jennifer Weiner’s performance did you like?

The sarcasm in her voice.