The Rainbow Comes and Goes

A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss

By: Anderson Cooper

Narrated by: Anderson Cooper, Gloria Vanderbilt

Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

A touching and intimate correspondence between Anderson Cooper and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, offering timeless wisdom and a revealing glimpse into their lives.

Though Anderson Cooper has always considered himself close to his mother, his intensely busy career as a journalist for CNN and CBS affords him little time to spend with her. After she suffers a brief but serious illness at the age of ninety-one, they resolve to change their relationship by beginning a yearlong conversation unlike any they have ever had before. The result is a correspondence of surprising honesty and depth in which they discuss their lives, the things that matter to them, and what they still want to learn about each other.

Both a son's love letter to his mother and an unconventional mom's life lessons for her grown son, The Rainbow Comes and Goes offers a rare window into their close relationship and fascinating life stories, including their tragedies and triumphs. In these often humorous and moving exchanges, they share their most private thoughts and the hard-earned truths they've learned along the way. In their words their distinctive personalities shine through - Anderson's journalistic outlook on the world is a sharp contrast to his mother's idealism and unwavering optimism.

An appealing memoir with inspirational advice, The Rainbow Comes and Goes is a beautiful and affectionate celebration of the universal bond between a parent and a child and a thoughtful reflection on life, reminding us of the precious insight that remains to be shared, no matter our age.

©2016 Anderson Cooper (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"A CNN and CBS journalist, Cooper has a highly recognizable vocal quality, and his narrative tone is thoughtful, distinctive, and pleasant. His delivery is especially adept in the difficult passages addressing the early death of his father and, later, the suicide of his older brother, Carter. Vanderbilt's skillful, forceful, and distinct narration is remarkable for her 91 years.... This is a moving listening experience." ( AudioFile)

Thank you!

May we all know the true hearts and minds of the ones we dearly love.

Such an excellent reflection on life and aging

I had a lot of inaccurate perceptions about both Gloria and Anderson. I hope they write a follow up and continue to share their perspectives. She is such a decent, talented, articulate and insightful person. He is also bright, articulate and rawly honest. In the future I will be seeking to watch his programs and career trajectory. Perhaps someday he will have his own children too.....

Beautifully narrated

Knew nothing @ Gloria Vanderbilt other than I bought her jeans in the 70's but what a rich, fascinating story she has to tell. The writing is wonderful but what really makes the book is Vanderbilt's incredibly moving and emotional narration.

An "audio book" must read...

loved it! Really loved it! Infound this book touxhing and insightful... It was a rare treat!

American story told compelling

History, romance, struggle, family, its all there told in their own words brilliantly with love.

Honesty

Such A touching story, that all who are related as are a mother and son, can benefit greatly by listening to it slowly and not just with the brain but also , And more importantly with the hearts involvement. At 65 I could only hope that one day I could have a long dialogue with my son. His pain breaks my heart, and I know mine his. To articulate our feelings as honestly as Anderson and his mother have done, would help immensely to heal our present and shared pain. This book has given me a goal to reach for. Thank you Gloria and Anderson for this honest insight into your lives. Filled with pain, joy, confusion, and hope.

Highly recommend

Just amazing heartfelt novel a must share with anyone you know . Would read over and over again

5 stars and more

I listened as I drove across country. Wonderful, heartwarming and fascinating. Read by Gloria and Anderson created an intimacy I can't imagine having just by reading. A must listen.

Most inspiring story

Even though I watch the special on TV and loved it, I was left with a yearning for more on their incredible life. This book was a gift, I will treasure it for ever.

Awesome!!!

I love biographies and I especially liked the back-and-forth audio between Anderson and his mother well-written book