Still Here: Three Memoirs That Don’t Look Away

About this episode

The episode discusses three impactful memoirs narrated by their authors or notable performers, focusing on personal struggles and emotional depth.

Three women tell deeply personal stories in audiobooks that gain even more force through performance. Michele Cobb joins host Jo Reed to discuss A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot, who discovered that her husband had drugged her and arranged to have dozens of men assault her over the course of many years. The book recounts her life, the trial, and the reckoning that followed, all narrated by Emma Thompson with remarkable restraint and empathy. Next comes a discussion of The End of My Life Is Killing Me by Annabelle Gurwitch, read by the author with warmth, comic timing, and mischievous candor as she navigates stage 4 lung cancer and divorce. Finally, they discuss You With the Sad Eyes, written and read by actor Christina Applegate, who reflects on childhood trauma, fame, cancer, and living with multiple sclerosis; her unguarded narration—complete with journal entries, cracked laughter, and tearful moments—gives the book unusual emotional immediacy. These memoirs don’t offer neat resolutions, but they do reveal the special intimacy that happens when difficult stories are spoken aloud. Audiobooks Discussed: A Hymn to Life: Shame Has To Change Sides by Gisèle Pelicot with Judith…

People in this episode

Host: Jo Reed

Guest: Michele Cobb

Topics covered

• memoirs
• audiobooks
• personal stories
• performance
• cancer
• trauma

Keywords

• memoir
• audiobook
• Gisèle Pelicot
• Annabelle Gurwitch
• Christina Applegate

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: A Hymn to Life, The End of My Life Is Killing Me, You With the Sad Eyes

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