• Graceful Burdens

  • Out of Line collection
  • By: Roxane Gay
  • Narrated by: Samira Wiley
  • Length: 45 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (433 ratings)

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Graceful Burdens  By  cover art

Graceful Burdens

By: Roxane Gay
Narrated by: Samira Wiley
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Publisher's summary

From New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay comes an unforgettable tale of nightmarish bureaucracy in which genetic profiling has redefined the “unfit mother.”

A trip to the library prompts one woman to question her fate in this galvanizing short story. For a woman like Hadley, deemed not acceptable to procreate, there’s only one recourse. Unlicensed for motherhood, she can alleviate her grief and frustration at a “baby library,” where a curiously endless supply of infants is available for a two-week loan. But the borrowed life that serves as a temporary balm leads to a journey of self-discovery that will forever change the direction of Hadley’s future.

Roxane Gay’s Graceful Burdens is part of Out of Line, an incisive collection of funny, enraging, and hopeful stories of women’s empowerment and escape. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single thought-provoking sitting.

Audible narration by Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale)

©2020 Roxane Gay (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

What listeners say about Graceful Burdens

Average customer ratings
Overall
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  • Overall
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Wonderful, captivating.

A short story that is all intrigue and heart from beginning to end. A brief glimpse into a scary, but empowering world.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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handmaid's tale-esque

Samira Wiley..what a gem. Loved this short story! Margaret Atwood dystopia themed setting..wondering how far in the future this is..

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Dystopian and women-positive

But men should read it too….
I really enjoyed the narrator’s voice, warm and supple.

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Stunning!

I had no idea what to expect from this short story, but I love Roxane Gay, so I figured it would be worth a quick read. Absolutely amazing! The ability to build such a fully realized world in so few pages is truly a gift. The characters are well drawn and the story intriguing. Samira Wiley's narration is a thing of pure beauty. Absolutely fabulous!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Incredible

I want to know more! THIS WAS SO.GOOD! I LOVE ROXANNE GAY! Please write more!

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Amazingly Unexpected

Such a hidden gem amongst a vast library! It’s easy to miss out on this as you never knew to look for it. The way Roxane builds such a strong world very quickly is a talent. She draws you with curiosity and keeps you there until the very last word. Great job!

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A different kind of library you should CHECK OUT

If you’re a fan of “The Handmaid’s Tale” or “Brave New World,” you’ll enjoy this.

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Great short story!

Well performed and written. Good futuristic story of brave women taking chances for the betterment of others.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Prescient

With the overturning of Roe, this dystopian short story feels prescient with the times. Galvanizing.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Wish it would have been longer!

A Handmaid’s Tale-like story- I’d love to read more- how it came to be, where it goes from here…

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