I love this book. I loved it before the audiobook, so I wasn't going into this blind. Maya Hawke made this book incredibly enjoyable to listen to. You can tell that she loves Joan Didion as much as her most devoted fans. If I could give this ten stars, I would 100% recommend anyone listen to this book, especially Joan Didion fans; even if you've read the book, listen to this audiobook. You will not be disappointed!

Though Joan Didion is one of the most famous living US authors, I had never read her work. I am now a fan having just finished Slouching Towards Bethlehem, a series of essays written for magazines in the 1960s that was first published in the early 1968. It is easy to see why she went on to become so beloved amongst readers and writers alike. Her style is conversational. Her ability to record what she observes is what makes her such a great talent. Some of these essays are so beautifully written that if I had been told they were fiction, I would have believed it.

These essays include writing about specific incidents that happened in the World, probably in California, and personal essays of her own. The last one, for example, talks about her eight years in New York as a young woman and editor for Vogue, marrying and moving to California with her husband, the great writer, John Gregory Dunn. 'New York is for the young' Didion says and by the end of the essay had me convinced. She writes about John Wayne, Howard Hughs, the Haight-Ashberry scene in the 60s, all of them with such a thoughtful approach, beautifully rendered with a quality of imagery previously unknown in the essay world.

I read this book as an ARC from Netgalley but will be buying my own copy very soon.

A beautifully read addition to Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem. Inspiring prose and essays written to allow readers to revel in Joan’s writing. Beyond raw.

This is a collection of Joan Didion articles written in the 1960s for different magazines over the decade as read by Maya Hawke. The articles are about such topics as the culture of the 60s, Howard Hughs, and John Wayne.

My daughter has been telling me to read Joan Didion for years and so when I saw this collection I jumped to grab it. Her writing is just beautiful and even on such topics as the ones she is writing about, she can transport you to the place and time of her narration. Maya Hawke is as engaging a narrator as I can imagine. I originally thought I would listen to one article and then have another book on standby to switch back and forth, but in the end I just ingested the whole audiobook at once because the writing was so good. I guess my daughter was right, now I have to read one Joan Didion’s books.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ARC to review

4.25

Joan Didion's writing is as relevant as ever. Having her words voiced by a popular young actress will help a new generation discover her