Audiobooks by Ann Hood

An entertaining and fascinating memoir of “gifted storyteller” (People) Ann Hood’s adventurous years as a TWA flight attendant. In 1978, in the tailwind of the golden age of air travel, flight attendants were the epitome of glamor and sophistication. Fresh out of college and hungry to experience the world?and maybe, one day, write about it?Ann Hood joined their ranks. After a grueling job search, Hood survived TWA’s rigorous Breech Training Academy and learned to evacuate seven kinds of aircraft, deliver a baby, mix proper cocktails, administer oxygen, and stay calm no matter what the situation. In the air, Hood found both the adventure she’d dreamt of and the unexpected realities of life on the job. She carved chateaubriand in the first-class cabin and dined in front of the pyramids in Cairo, fended off passengers’ advances and found romance on layovers in London and Lisbon, and walked more than a million miles in high heels. She flew through the start of deregulation, an oil crisis, massive furloughs, and a labor strike. As the airline industry changed around her, Hood began to write?even drafting snatches of her first novel from the jump-seat. She reveals how the job empowered her, despite its roots in sexist standards. Packed with funny, moving, and shocking stories of life as a flight attendant, Fly Girl captures the nostalgia and magic of air travel at its height, and the thrill that remains with every takeoff.

Ann Hood (Author), Ann Hood (Narrator)

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Jude Banks, Superhero

New York Times best-selling author Ann Hood pens a poignant story of grief and resilience, perfect for readers of The Thing About Jellyfish. 'A testament to the power of human connection." -Jack Cheng, award-winning author of See You in the Cosmos Katie was Jude's favorite person in the world. And not many brothers say that about their sister and mean it. But to Jude, Katie was everything--the person who made him learn how to say 'I love you' in every language, who performed dramatic readings of Romeo and Juliet, who obsessed over every item on the diner menu looking for the most authentic diner meal. The one who called him 'Jude Banks, Superhero,' because to her, Jude was the best. She was also the person who died. Out of nowhere, and without a goodbye. And Jude believes he was the one who killed her. Now, twelve-year-old Jude must figure out what life looks like without his favorite person. With Mom checked out, and Dad just trying to do his best, Jude enters a world of grief youth groups and dropped-off lasagnas. It's only when he meets a girl named Clementine, who also lost a sibling, that he begins to imagine a world where maybe things might be okay. But Clementine is also feeling a terrible guilt, and even though Katie called Jude a 'superhero,' he isn't sure he can save her. In her signature prose, Hood crafts an extraordinary story of grief and resilience, asking the important question: How does a family begin to heal? Praise for Jude Banks, Superhero: 'Hood is brilliant at showing the ordinary moments of a family's heartbreak… There are many readers who are navigating guilt and sorrow right now - for them, this book is a must. And for those lucky enough to take the journey only in their imaginations, this is a story of resilience in the face of devastating pain."-New York Times Book Review 'A tender story of grief and joy... a remarkable read.'-School Library Connection (Starred Review) 'Hood's careful gardening of emotions makes this a striking read... Fans of Ali Benjamin's The Thing about Jellyfish will appreciate Jude's search for meaning and reason as he learns to live around the hole his sister has left.'-Booklist (Starred Review) "Ann Hood tells Jude's story of grief without coating it in too much sugar; it's real, and therein lies its power. Jude Banks is a mirror for anyone who's experienced loss, and a testament to the power of human connection."-Jack Cheng, award-winning author of See You in the Cosmos 'Jude Banks is warm and inviting, even as it balances the difficult topics of loss and healing-a powerful and compelling story for anyone who has known loss.'-Rex Ogle, award winning author of Free Lunch

Ann Hood (Author), Christopher Gebauer (Narrator)

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Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love, and Food

In this warm collection of personal essays and recipes, best-selling author Ann Hood nourishes both our bodies and our souls. From her Italian-American childhood through raising and feeding a growing family and cooking with her new husband, food writer Michael Ruhlman, Ann Hood has long appreciated the power of a good meal. Growing up, she tasted love in her grandmother's tomato sauce and dreamed of her mother's special-occasion Fancy Lady Sandwiches. Later, the kitchen became the heart of Hood's own home. She cooked pork roast to warm her first apartment, used two cups of dried basil for her first attempt at making pesto, taught her children how to make their favorite potatoes, found hope in her daughter's omelet after a divorce, and fell in love again?with both her husband and his foolproof chicken stock. With her signature humor and tenderness, Hood details all these recipes and more in Kitchen Yarns, along with tales of loss and starting from scratch, family love and feasts with friends, and how the perfect meal is one that tastes like home.

Ann Hood (Author), Nina Alvamar (Narrator)

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She Loves You (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah)

'Filled with love, hope, and longing, this is a novel for readers of all ages.' - Holly Goldberg Sloan Bestselling author Ann Hood crafts a funny, heartfelt story of a girl growing up in the heart of Beatlemania. The year is 1966. The Vietnam War rages overseas, the Beatles have catapulted into stardom, and twelve-year-old Rhode Island native Trudy Mixer is not thrilled with life. Her best friend, Michelle, has decided to become a cheerleader, everyone at school is now calling her Gertrude (her hated real name), and the gem of her middle school career, the Beatles fan club, has dwindled down to only three other members--the least popular kids at school. And at home, her workaholic father has become even more distant. Determined to regain her social status and prove herself to her father, Trudy looks toward the biggest thing happening worldwide: the Beatles. She is set on seeing them in Boston during their final world tour--and meeting her beloved Paul McCartney. So on a hot August day, unknown to their families, Trudy and crew set off on their journey, each of them with soaring hopes for what lies ahead.In her signature prose, Hood crafts an extraordinary story of growing up, making unexpected connections, and following your dreams even as the world in front of you--and the world at large--is changing too fast.

Ann Hood (Author), Holly Linneman (Narrator)

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Morningstar: Growing Up With Books

In her admired works of fiction, including the recent The Book that Matters Most, Ann Hood explores the transformative power of literature. Now, with warmth and honesty, Hood reveals the personal story behind these works of fiction. Growing up in a mill town in Rhode Island, in a household that didn't foster the love of literature, Hood nonetheless learned to channel her imagination and curiosity by devouring The Bell Jar, Marjorie Morningstar, The Harrad Experiment, and other works. These titles introduced her to topics that could not be discussed at home: desire, fear, sexuality, and madness. Later, Johnny Got His Gun and The Grapes of Wrath influenced her political thinking as the Vietnam War became news; Dr. Zhivago and Les Miserables stoked her ambition to travel the world. With characteristic insight and charm, Hood showcases the ways in which books gave her life and can transform-even save-our own.

Ann Hood (Author), Donna Postel (Narrator)

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The Book That Matters Most

An enthralling novel about love, loss, secrets, friendship, and the healing power of literature, by the bestselling author of The Knitting Circle. Ava's twenty-five-year marriage has fallen apart, and her two grown children are pursuing their own lives outside of the country. Ava joins a book group, not only for her love of reading but also out of sheer desperation for companionship. The group's goal throughout the year is for each member to present the book that matters most to them. Ava rediscovers a mysterious book from her childhood-one that helped her through the traumas of the untimely deaths of her sister and mother. Alternating with Ava's story is that of her troubled daughter Maggie, who, living in Paris, descends into a destructive relationship with an older man. Ava's mission to find that book and its enigmatic author takes her on a quest that unravels the secrets of her past and offers her and Maggie the chance to remake their lives.

Ann Hood (Author), Nina Alvamar (Narrator)

Audiobook

An Italian Wife

From the bestselling author of The Obituary Writer comes the stirring multigenerational story of an Italian family. An Italian Wife opens in turn-of-the-century Italy, when young Josephine Rimaldi is forced to follow her new husband to America in an arranged marriage and finds herself in a strange country with a man she doesn’t know or love. Bound by tradition, she gives birth to seven children; the last, conceived in a passionate affair, Josephine must give up for adoption. Josephine spends the rest of her life searching for this child, keeping her secret even as her other children, whose stories unfold in surprising ways, go off to war, get married, and make their own mistakes: Her son suffers in World War I. Her daughter struggles to assimilate in the new world of the 1950s American suburbs. And her granddaughters experiment with the sex, drugs, and rock and roll of the 1970s. Poignant, sensual, and deeply felt, An Italian Wife is a sweeping and evocative portrait of a family bound by love and heartbreak.

Ann Hood (Author), Cassandra Campbell (Narrator)

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The Obituary Writer

From bestselling author Ann Hood comes a sophisticated and suspenseful novel about the poignant lives of two women living in different eras. On the day John F. Kennedy is inaugurated, Claire, a young wife and mother obsessed with the glamour of Jackie, struggles over the decision of whether to stay in a loveless but secure marriage or to follow the man she loves and whose baby she may be carrying. Decades earlier in 1919, Vivien Lowe, an obituary writer, is searching for her lover who disappeared in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. By telling the stories of the dead, Vivien not only helps others cope with their grief but also begins to understand the devastation of her own terrible loss. The surprising connection between these two women will change Claire's life in unexpected and extraordinary ways. Part literary mystery and part love story, The Obituary Writer examines expectations of marriage and love, the roles of wives and mothers, and the emotions of grief, regret, and hope. "Ann Hood gives us two women from very different time periods who share similar struggles in understanding aspects of love and grief...Reading this book, I felt acutely the sadness of loss, the deliciousness of gossip among a group of women friends, the frustration of miscommunication in marriage, the joys of sensuality. Creating such empathy on the part of a reader isn't easy: Ann Hood just makes it look that way."-Elizabeth Berg, New York Times bestselling author

Ann Hood (Author), Tavia Gilbert (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Red Thread

In China there is a belief that people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. After losing her infant daughter in a freak accident, Maya Lange opens the Red Thread, an adoption agency that specializes in placing baby girls from China with American families. Maya finds some comfort in her work, until a group of six couples share their personal stories of desire for a child. Their painful and courageous journey toward adoption forces Maya to confront the lost daughter of her past. Brilliantly braiding together the stories of Chinese birth mothers who give up their daughters, Ann Hood writes a moving and beautifully told novel of the red thread of fate that binds these characters' lives. Heartrending and wise, The Red Thread is a stirring portrait of unforgettable love and yearning for a baby. "[An] engaging new tearjerker....The individual arcs are woven together beautifully....Hood's sensitive depiction of her characters' hopes and fears makes for a moving story of dedication, forgiveness, and love."-Publishers Weekly

Ann Hood (Author), Hillary Huber (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Knitting Circle

After losing her only child, Mary Baxter joins a knitting circle to fill the empty days. The other women welcome her into their circle despite her reluctance to open her heart to them. Eventually, through the hours they spend together, Mary is able to tell her own story of grief and, in so doing, face some new truths.

Ann Hood (Author), Hillary Huber (Narrator)

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