cover image You’ll Grow Out of It

You’ll Grow Out of It

Jessi Klein, read by the author. Hachette Audio, , unabridged, 6 CDs, 6.5 hrs., $30 ISBN 978-1-4789-3661-9

Klein draws nicely on her own brand of stand-up comedy in bringing this collection of her autobiographical essays to life. Her delivery style seems akin to a confessional between an honest and approachable woman to a close friend over drinks or coffee, as opposed to a larger-than-life stage monologue. She utilizes a deadpan tone to convey the ironies and complexities of female identity across ages, whether it’s teen obsessions with bra size and hair imperfections, or the self-esteem roller-coaster ride of single life and dating, or the struggles of balancing pregnancy and motherhood as a successful television writer and producer. Klein’s anecdote about having to make special arrangements for her breast pump while walking down the Emmy red carpet captures the book’s essence with particular clarity, as the comic tension builds with angst that connects on an intimate level to her audience. Klein’s approach allows her to take on edgy topics of self-awareness and self-empowerment without coming across as heavy-handed. A Grand Central hardcover. (July)