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Not Always Happy
- An Unusual Parenting Journey
- Narrated by: Ramona Master
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
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Not Always Happy
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Publisher's summary
While most people meet their child for the first time in a delivery room, some parents have to meet their child in the reception area of an administrative building.
Not Always Happy is a humorous and sharp chronicle about adopting and raising a son with Down syndrome from the Maine foster care system. The author quickly learns that life is best lived by expecting the unplanned when she makes the decision to become a parent in her late forties. As her unconventional family moves along in this life, she and her husband are less aware they are raising an atypical child or an adopted child. They are raising their child, and their family struggles with the same universal themes that any family goes through.
- Parents who have children with Down syndrome and other disabilities represent fifteen percent of all children between the ages of three to seventeen.
- Wagner-Peck provides an access point to start the debate about adopting a child with special needs along with her decision to homeschool.
- One of only a few books in the marketplace specifically addressing adopting from the foster care system.
Kari Wagner-Peck, MSW, is a writer, blogger, and a freelance development consultant while she homeschools her son. She also has experience in arts management including development, event planning, and public speaking. Her writing has been featured in the Huffington Post, the New York Times’ "Motherlode" blog, the Sydney Morning Herald, Yahoo Parenting, Parents Magazine’s, and Empowering Parents. Kari Wagner-Peck currently resides in Portland, Maine.
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-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 201
Some families are created in different ways but are still, in every way, a family. Writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding Nia Vardalos firmly believed she was supposed to be a mom, but Mother Nature and modern medicine had put her in a headlock. So she made a choice that shocked friends, family, and even herself: with only 14 hours' notice, she adopted a preschooler.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A wealth of information for those who wish to adopt
- By Michele Sutherland on 01-11-23
By: Nia Vardalos
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Small Admissions
- A Novel
- By: Amy Poeppel
- Narrated by: Carly Robins
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 222
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 203
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Story4 out of 5 stars 200
Despite her innate ambition and summa cum laude smarts, Kate Pearson has turned into a major slacker. After being dumped by her handsome French "almost fiancé", she abandons her grad school plans and spends her days lolling on the couch, leaving her apartment only when a dog-walking gig demands it. Her friends don't know what to do other than pass tissues and hope for a comeback while her practical sister, Angela, pushes every remedy she can think of, from trapeze class to therapy to job interviews.
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3 out of 5 stars
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For fans of "Where'd You Go, Bernadette ?"
- By RueRue on 01-16-17
By: Amy Poeppel
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A Face for Picasso
- By: Ariel Henley
- Narrated by: Ariel Henley
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 24
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Story5 out of 5 stars 23
At only eight months old, identical twin sisters Ariel and Zan Henley were diagnosed with Crouzon syndrome — a rare condition where the bones in the head fuse prematurely. They were the first twins known to survive it. Growing up, Ariel and her sister endured numerous medical procedures to keep them alive. Doctors expanded the twins’ skulls and broke bones to make room for their growing organs. After each surgery, the sisters felt like strangers to each other, unable to recognize themselves in the mirror.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic
- By Anna McCall on 03-25-24
By: Ariel Henley
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Before I Had the Words
- On Being a Transgender Young Adult
- By: Skylar Kergil
- Narrated by: Skylar Kergil
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 102
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 93
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 93
At the beginning of his physical transition from female to male, then-17-year-old Skylar Kergil posted his first video on YouTube. In the months and years that followed, he recorded weekly update videos about the physical and emotional changes he experienced. Skylar’s openness and positivity attracted thousands of viewers, who followed along as his voice deepened and his body changed shape. Through surgeries and recovery, highs and lows, from high school to college to the real world, Skylar welcomed others on his journey.
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5 out of 5 stars
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So grateful to help me as grandma
- By Lisa Bridges on 11-11-20
By: Skylar Kergil
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The Fourth Child
- A Novel
- By: Jessica Winter
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 80
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 71
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Story4 out of 5 stars 71
The author of Break in Case of Emergency follows up her the “extraordinary debut” (The Guardian) with a moving novel about motherhood and marriage, adolescence and bodily autonomy, family and love, religion and sexuality, and the delicate balance between the purity of faith and the messy reality of life.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Just OK - Considered Bailing
- By Madeleine Homan on 04-18-21
By: Jessica Winter
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Members Only
- By: Sameer Pandya
- Narrated by: Sunil Malhotra
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 25
Raj Bhatt is often unsure of where he belongs. Having moved to America from Bombay as a child, he knew few Indian kids. Now middle-aged, he lives mostly happily in California with a job at a university. Still, his white wife seems to fit in better than he does at times, especially at their tennis club, a place he's cautiously come to love. But it's there that, in one week, his life unravels. It begins at a meeting for potential new members: Raj thrills to find an African American couple on the list; he dreams of a more diverse club. But in an effort to connect, he makes a racist joke.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Stick with it... so worth it!
- By Andrea R Martinez on 09-02-20
By: Sameer Pandya
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Pregnant Girl
- A Story of Teen Motherhood, College, and Creating a Better Future for Young Families
- By: Nicole Lynn Lewis
- Narrated by: Nicky Sunshine
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 39
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 34
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
An activist calls for better support of young families so they can thrive and reflects on her experiences as a Black mother and college student fighting for opportunities for herself and her child. Pregnant Girl presents the possibility of a different future for young mothers - one of success and stability - in the midst of the dismal statistics that dominate the national conversation.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Political
- By Amazon Customer on 01-16-23
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Missing Parts
- By: Lucinda Berry
- Narrated by: Abby Craden
- Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 229
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 211
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Story4 out of 5 stars 210
Growing up abandoned by her father and raised by a single mother, Celeste was determined to create the perfect family - but even perfect families have secrets. Her days are filled with a rewarding career, a devoted husband, and her four-year-old daughter. Celeste is the only one who knows the precarious house of cards her family is built upon - until the day her daughter falls critically ill. Then her world quickly spirals out of control, her secret threatening to destroy her marriage, family, reputation, and sanity.
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3 out of 5 stars
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SPOILER ALERT. Sigh...
- By Kelly on 10-08-20
By: Lucinda Berry
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Before I Called You Mine
- By: Nicole Deese
- Narrated by: Mikhaila Aaseng
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 94
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 89
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Story5 out of 5 stars 89
Lauren Bailey may be a romantic at heart, but after a decade of matchmaking schemes gone wrong, there's only one match she's committed to now - the one that will make her a mother. Lauren is a dedicated first-grade teacher in Idaho, and her love for children has led her to the path of international adoption. To satisfy her adoption agency's requirements, she gladly agreed to remain single for the foreseeable future; however, just as her long wait comes to an end, Lauren is blindsided by a complication she never saw coming: Joshua Avery.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A very special book
- By Kelly on 04-15-20
By: Nicole Deese
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Children Under Fire
- An American Crisis
- By: John Woodrow Cox
- Narrated by: Graham Halstead
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 62
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 57
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Story5 out of 5 stars 57
In 2017, seven-year-old Ava in South Carolina wrote a letter to Tyshaun, an eight-year-old boy from Washington, DC. She asked him to be her pen pal; Ava thought they could help each other. The kids had a tragic connection - both were traumatized by gun violence. Ava’s best friend had been killed in a campus shooting at her elementary school, and Tyshaun’s father had been shot to death outside of the boy’s elementary school. Ava’s and Tyshaun’s stories are extraordinary, but not unique.
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5 out of 5 stars
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What about the kids that are left behind?
- By Denise on 04-11-21
By: John Woodrow Cox
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Why Your Kids Misbehave
- And What to Do about It
- By: Kevin Leman
- Narrated by: Dean Gallagher
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 23
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 20
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Story5 out of 5 stars 20
Tantrums. Talking back. Throwing toys or food. Meltdowns. Slamming doors. Kids know just how to push your buttons. You've tried all sorts of methods, but nothing seems to work. That's because you're not addressing the root reasons for why kids misbehave, says international parenting expert Dr. Kevin Leman. In this book, he reveals exactly why kids misbehave and how you can turn that behavior around with practical, no-nonsense strategies that really work...and are a long-term win for both of you
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5 out of 5 stars
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amazing
- By Jason Evans on 04-11-24
By: Kevin Leman
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If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother
- By: Julia Sweeney
- Narrated by: Julia Sweeney
- Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 196
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 176
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Story4 out of 5 stars 175
Since her time on Saturday Night Live, where she created the infamous androgynous character "Pat", Julia Sweeney has gone on to establish herself as a witty, captivating performer of one-woman shows, like God Said Ha!, In the Family Way, and Letting Go of God. She gave a TED talk sharing how she explained the birds and the bees to her eight-year-old daughter, Mulan, which ignited an incredible response. Now, when it comes to talking about motherhood, people want to hear what Julia has to say.
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4 out of 5 stars
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I Love Julia Sweeney
- By Lisa on 04-05-13
By: Julia Sweeney
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Red's Hot Honky-Tonk Bar
- By: Pamela Morsi
- Narrated by: Savannah Richards
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 54
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
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Story4 out of 5 stars 35
Unruly Red knows she’s no one’s idea of a sweet old granny. But with one long-distance phone call, the fortysomething bar owner with the tattoos and tight jeans is suddenly responsible for two young grandchildren she hardly knows.
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5 out of 5 stars
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What a surprise
- By Donna on 02-07-18
By: Pamela Morsi
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Schuyler's Monster
- A Father's Journey with His Wordless Daughter
- By: Robert Rummel-Hudson
- Narrated by: Johnathan McClain
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 47
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 38
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Story5 out of 5 stars 38
When Schuyler Rummel-Hudson was 18 months old, a question about her lack of speech by her pediatrician set in motion a journey that continues today. When she was diagnosed with bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria (an extremely rare neurological disorder), her parents were given a name for the monster that had been stalking them from doctor to doctor, and from despair to hope, and back again.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Must-read for medical parents & those who ❤them
- By Kelly A. Wolske on 05-23-18
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The Golden Child
- A Novel
- By: Wendy James
- Narrated by: Candice Moll
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 35
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
Beth Mahony is a stay-at-home mother of two daughters, Lucy and Charlotte. She’s also a blogger, whose alter ego, Lizzie, paints a picture of a busy, happy life. Originally from Australia, Beth and her family have lived in New Jersey for ten years. When an opportunity to relocate to Australia arises, the Mahonys decide to return to their native country. The move comes at the perfect time: Charlotte, the youngest daughter, has been accused of being the ringleader of a clique of girls whose dangerous initiation rites leave a child in hospital.
By: Wendy James
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Phantom Limb
- A Gripping Psychological Thriller
- By: Lucinda Berry
- Narrated by: Kate Marcin
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 281
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 238
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Story4 out of 5 stars 238
Emily and Elizabeth spent their childhood locked in a bedroom and terrorized by a mother who drank too much and disappeared for days. The identical twins were rescued by a family determined to be their saviors. But there are some horrors love can’t erase....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Not a fan of the ending.....
- By Dr. loLafolana on 08-10-20
By: Lucinda Berry