cover image Thin Is the New Happy: A Memoir

Thin Is the New Happy: A Memoir

Valerie Frankel, , read by Marie Caliendo. . Brilliance Audio, $29.95 ( , unabridged, six CDs, 7 hrs., $29.95 ISBN p) ISBN 978-1-4233-7052-9

Without reading the liner notes, one would never realize that narrator Marie Caliendo is not, in fact, the author of this memoir, so intimate, truthful and emotionally honest is her performance. Her voice is thoughtful and searching, when Frankel tries to explore the psychological reasons for her yo-yo dieting and binging; embarrassed and cringing, as she recalls junior high taunts; determined and empowered as she speaks of her resolve to live a healthy lifestyle with positive self-image. Caliendo also evokes other voices well, especially the harsh, berating tones of Frankel’s judgmental mother. Any woman who has ever looked at her body in the mirror and criticized herself will relate to this audiobook—an emotion enhanced by Caliendo’s warm, understanding tone, which reassures the listener, “I’ve been there, too.” A St. Martin’s hardcover (Reviews, June 23). (Sept.)