Try free for 30 days
-
The Family Outing
- A Memoir
- Narrated by: Jessi Hempel
- Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also picked
-
Heretic
- A Memoir
- By: Jeanna Kadlec
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jeanna Kadlec knew what it meant to be faithful--in her marriage to a pastor’s son, in the comfortable life ahead of her, in her God--but there was no denying the truth that lived under that conviction: she was queer and, if she wanted to survive, she would need to leave behind the church and every foundational building block she knew. Heretic is a memoir of rebirth. Within, Kadlec reckons with religious trauma and Midwestern values, as a means of unveiling how evangelicalism directly impacts every American--religious or not--and has been a major force in driving our democracy towards fascism.
-
Safe, Wanted, and Loved
- A Family Memoir of Mental Illness, Heartbreak, and Hope
- By: Patrick Dylan
- Narrated by: Raúl E. Esparza
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Pat, we need to kill the dog.” When a sudden mental illness struck his wife, Patrick Dylan found himself living with an eerie stranger. Scared and unprepared, he began a desperate battle to protect her from a mysterious disease, shelter their children from her bizarre behavior, and recover the woman he loved. Within weeks, she had been admitted to the emergency room, the hospital, and the local crisis facility, but none of the experts could provide an answer. As her illness eluded diagnosis, the family’s struggle was only beginning.
-
Behind the Facade
- A Mental Health Memoir
- By: Lauren Bartleson
- Narrated by: Lauren Bartleson
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Behind the Facade: A Mental Health Memoir, Lauren pulls back the curtain, giving a glimpse into the memories that she buried deep inside, never to see the light of day. By sharing the stories that are helping her heal, Lauren hopes to do her part in breaking the stigma around mental health and to inspire others to feel less alone in their journey.
-
On the Ledge
- By: Amy Turner
- Narrated by: Amy Turner
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1957, when Amy Turner was four-years-old, her father had to be talked down from a hotel ledge by a priest. The story of his attempted suicide received nationwide press coverage, and he spent months in a psychiatric facility before returning home. From then on, Amy constantly worried about him for reasons she didn't yet fully understand, triggering a pattern of hypervigilance that would plague her into adulthood.
-
The Book of Pride
- LGBTQ Heroes Who Changed the World
- By: Mason Funk
- Narrated by: Mason Funk, Robin Miles, Eileen Stevens, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Book of Pride captures the true story of the gay rights movement from the 1960s to the present, through richly detailed, stunning interviews with the leaders, activists, and ordinary people who witnessed the movement and made it happen. These individuals fought battles both personal and political, often without the support of family or friends, frequently under the threat of violence and persecution.
-
Blood Orange Night
- My Journey to the Edge of Madness
- By: Melissa Bond
- Narrated by: Melissa Bond
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Melissa Bond raises her infant daughter and a special-needs one-year-old son, she suffers from unbearable insomnia, sleeping an hour or less each night. She loses her job as a journalist (a casualty of the 2008 recession), and her relationship with her husband grows distant. Her doctor casually prescribes benzodiazepines—a family of drugs that includes Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, Ativan—and increases her dosage regularly.
-
Heretic
- A Memoir
- By: Jeanna Kadlec
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jeanna Kadlec knew what it meant to be faithful--in her marriage to a pastor’s son, in the comfortable life ahead of her, in her God--but there was no denying the truth that lived under that conviction: she was queer and, if she wanted to survive, she would need to leave behind the church and every foundational building block she knew. Heretic is a memoir of rebirth. Within, Kadlec reckons with religious trauma and Midwestern values, as a means of unveiling how evangelicalism directly impacts every American--religious or not--and has been a major force in driving our democracy towards fascism.
-
Safe, Wanted, and Loved
- A Family Memoir of Mental Illness, Heartbreak, and Hope
- By: Patrick Dylan
- Narrated by: Raúl E. Esparza
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“Pat, we need to kill the dog.” When a sudden mental illness struck his wife, Patrick Dylan found himself living with an eerie stranger. Scared and unprepared, he began a desperate battle to protect her from a mysterious disease, shelter their children from her bizarre behavior, and recover the woman he loved. Within weeks, she had been admitted to the emergency room, the hospital, and the local crisis facility, but none of the experts could provide an answer. As her illness eluded diagnosis, the family’s struggle was only beginning.
-
Behind the Facade
- A Mental Health Memoir
- By: Lauren Bartleson
- Narrated by: Lauren Bartleson
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Behind the Facade: A Mental Health Memoir, Lauren pulls back the curtain, giving a glimpse into the memories that she buried deep inside, never to see the light of day. By sharing the stories that are helping her heal, Lauren hopes to do her part in breaking the stigma around mental health and to inspire others to feel less alone in their journey.
-
On the Ledge
- By: Amy Turner
- Narrated by: Amy Turner
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1957, when Amy Turner was four-years-old, her father had to be talked down from a hotel ledge by a priest. The story of his attempted suicide received nationwide press coverage, and he spent months in a psychiatric facility before returning home. From then on, Amy constantly worried about him for reasons she didn't yet fully understand, triggering a pattern of hypervigilance that would plague her into adulthood.
-
The Book of Pride
- LGBTQ Heroes Who Changed the World
- By: Mason Funk
- Narrated by: Mason Funk, Robin Miles, Eileen Stevens, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Book of Pride captures the true story of the gay rights movement from the 1960s to the present, through richly detailed, stunning interviews with the leaders, activists, and ordinary people who witnessed the movement and made it happen. These individuals fought battles both personal and political, often without the support of family or friends, frequently under the threat of violence and persecution.
-
Blood Orange Night
- My Journey to the Edge of Madness
- By: Melissa Bond
- Narrated by: Melissa Bond
- Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Melissa Bond raises her infant daughter and a special-needs one-year-old son, she suffers from unbearable insomnia, sleeping an hour or less each night. She loses her job as a journalist (a casualty of the 2008 recession), and her relationship with her husband grows distant. Her doctor casually prescribes benzodiazepines—a family of drugs that includes Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, Ativan—and increases her dosage regularly.
-
Before I Had the Words
- On Being a Transgender Young Adult
- By: Skylar Kergil
- Narrated by: Skylar Kergil
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the beginning of his physical transition from female to male, then-17-year-old Skylar Kergil posted his first video on YouTube. In the months and years that followed, he recorded weekly update videos about the physical and emotional changes he experienced. Skylar’s openness and positivity attracted thousands of viewers, who followed along as his voice deepened and his body changed shape. Through surgeries and recovery, highs and lows, from high school to college to the real world, Skylar welcomed others on his journey.
-
When the World Didn't End
- A Memoir
- By: Guinevere Turner
- Narrated by: Guinevere Turner
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this immersive, spell-binding memoir, an acclaimed screenwriter tells the story of her childhood growing up with the infamous Lyman Family cult—and the complicated and unexpected pain of leaving the only home she’d ever known.
-
Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion
- A Novel
- By: Bushra Rehman
- Narrated by: Bushra Rehman
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Razia Mirza grows up amid the wild grape vines and backyard sunflowers of Corona, Queens, with her best friend, Saima, by her side. When a family rift drives the girls apart, Razia’s heart is broken. She finds solace in Taslima, a new girl in her close-knit Pakistani-American community. They embark on a series of small rebellions: listening to scandalous music, wearing miniskirts, and cutting school to explore the city.
-
A Place for Us
- A Memoir
- By: Brandon J. Wolf
- Narrated by: Brandon J. Wolf
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Growing up in rural Oregon, Brandon Wolf grappled with the devastating loss of his supportive mother and with the embedded racism and homophobia of a community that made him feel like an unwelcome stranger. After the lack of connection and role models led him down a spiral of risky behavior, Wolf escaped to survive. In Orlando, he found what he’d been searching for: belonging—in a community that was a safe space with people he’d come to call his chosen family.
-
-
Honest, emotional memoir
- By Lindsay Williams on 13-07-2023
-
Perfectly Queer
- Facing Big Fears, Living Hard Truths, and Loving Myself Fully Out of the Closet
- By: Jillian Abby
- Narrated by: Jillian Abby
- Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jill had a happy, healthy 20-year relationship with her college sweetheart, two wonderful kids, and rescue cat from the Humane Society. They lived in a nice suburban home with a white picket fence and owned a small bar that was rated one of the “Best Mom & Pop” businesses in Tampa Bay. From the outside, everything looked perfect. Perfectly Queer takes the listener on Jillian Abby's poignant and painfully funny rollercoaster of self-discovery as she identifies and eventually accepts herself as a lesbian just before her 40th birthday.
-
Small World
- A Novel
- By: Laura Zigman
- Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A year after her divorce, Joyce is settling into being single again. She likes her job archiving family photos and videos, and she’s developed a secret comforting hobby: trolling the neighborhood social networking site, Small World, for posts that help solve life’s easiest problems. When her older sister Lydia, also divorced, calls to tell her she’s moving back east from Los Angeles after almost thirty years away, Joyce invites Lydia to move into her Cambridge apartment. Temporarily. Just until she finds a place of her own.
-
I'm Not Broken
- A Memoir
- By: Jesse Leon
- Narrated by: Jesse Leon
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born to indigenous working-class Mexican immigrants in San Diego in the 1970s, Jesse Leon’s childhood was violently ruptured. A dangerous and harrowing encounter at a local gift shop when he was eleven years old left Jesse with a deadly secret. Hurt, alone, and scared for his life, Jesse numbed his pain by losing himself in the hyper-masculine culture of the streets and wherever else he could find it—in alcohol, drugs, and prostitution.
-
Everything Is Perfect
- By: Kate Nason
- Narrated by: Kate Nason
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seven years into her second marriage, Kate Nason discovered her husband was cheating on her. Then, the unimaginable happened. Kate woke to the news that one of her husband’s “other women” was involved with an American president. It was January of 1998. The press surrounded her home, clamoring for details and transformed Kate’s private heartbreak into public humiliation.
-
-
Painful narration
- By True crime reader on 13-01-2023
-
Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies
- A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Other Four-Letter Words
- By: Michael Ausiello
- Narrated by: Michael Ausiello
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the past decade, TV fans of all stripes have counted upon Michael Ausiello's insider knowledge to get the scoop on their favorite shows and stars. From his time at Soaps in Depth to his influential stints at TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly to his current role as founder and editor in chief of the wildly popular website TVLine.com, Michael has established himself as the go-to expert when it comes to our most popular form of entertainment.
-
-
Heart warming whilst heart wrenching
- By Sally Coltzau - Writer on 14-01-2023
-
Never Simple
- A Memoir
- By: Liz Scheier
- Narrated by: Amy Landon
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Scheier’s mother Judith was a news junkie, a hilarious storyteller, a fast-talking charmer you couldn’t look away from, a single mother whose devotion crossed the line into obsession, and—when in the grips of the mental illness that plagued every day of her life—a violent and abusive liar whose hold on reality was shaky at best. On an uneventful afternoon when Scheier was eighteen, her mother sauntered into the room to tell her two important things.
-
-
Great story
- By RC on 31-01-2024
-
Here After
- A Memoir
- By: Amy Lin
- Narrated by: Amy Lin
- Length: 3 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amy Lin never expected to find a love like the one she shares with her husband, Kurtis, a gifted young architect who pulls her toward joy, adventure, and greater self-acceptance. On a sweltering August morning, only a few months shy of the newlyweds’ move to Vancouver, thirty-two-year-old Kurtis heads out to run a half-marathon with Amy’s family. It’s the last time she sees her husband alive.
-
Half In
- A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love
- By: Felice Cohen
- Narrated by: Felice Cohen
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What if your first love was a forbidden one? At 23, Felice Cohen was--like other recent college grads--hesitant about entering the real world with the added stress of coming out in the early '90s. Focused on how to land a full-time position as a writer, falling in love was the last thing on her mind. But fall in love she did. With her boss, a woman 34 years older.
-
-
Such an interesting story
- By Chantal on 13-06-2023
Publisher's Summary
“Fascinating, funny, and wise, The Family Outing is an affirmation to all of us who know the pain and shame of hiding our truest self, and a stirring invitation into the courage, freedom, and joy of living our whole truth.”—Glennon Doyle, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Untamed, founder of Together Rising
A striking and remarkable literary memoir about one family’s transformation, with almost all of them embracing their queer identities.
Jessi Hempel was raised in a seemingly picture-perfect, middle-class American family. But the truth was far from perfect. Her father was constantly away from home, traveling for work, while her stay-at-home mother became increasingly lonely and erratic. Growing up, Jessi and her two siblings struggled to make sense of their family, their world, their changing bodies, and the emotional turmoil each was experiencing. And each, in their own way, was hiding their true self from the world.
By the time Jessi reached adulthood, everyone in her family had come out: Jessi as gay, her sister as bisexual, her father as gay, her brother as transgender, and her mother as a survivor of a traumatic experience with an alleged serial killer. Yet coming out was just the beginning, starting a chain reaction of other personal revelations and reckonings that caused each of them to question their place in the world in new and ultimately liberating ways.