Mother Father Uncle Aunt: Stories from Lake Wobegon [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Garrison Keillor (Author, Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 1997

"...where the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." There's a reason all those children in Lake Wobegon are above average. It might be the clean prairie air. It might be the wholesome wheat that's grown by the Norwegian bachelor farmers. And it just might be their strong, good-looking parents.

Garrison Keillor's collection of "News from Lake Wobegon" monologues—all taken from live broadcasts of A Prairie Home Companion—is an extended meditation on the joys, sorrows, challenges, and humor of raising children. The tales include "Ronnie and the Winnebago" about a young man, his rock-star girlfriend, and his long struggle to earn his father's understanding; "Love While You Dare" the story of August Johnson, who, after losing his brother in a gambler's prank in Copenhagen, flees to America rather than face his mother--who later comes to visit him in Lake Wobegon; and six more splendid, unforgettable accounts of how, in Keillor's words, "the meek shall inherit the earth, and when we have done all we can with our children, it's time to step back and let them inherit it."

Contents:
 Ball Jars, Love While you Dare To, Saturday Morning in The Bon Marche, Family Trip to Yellowstone, The Flood, Bob Anderson's Last Dance, Children Will Break Your Heart, Ronnie and The Winnebago, Carl's Christmas Pageant, The Tombstone

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Garrison Keillor is America's favorite storyteller. For more than 35 years as the host of A Prairie Home Companion, he has captivated millions of public radio listeners with his weekly "News from Lake Wobegon" monologues. Keillor is also the author of several books and a frequent contributor to national publications including Time, The New Yorker, and National Geographic, in addition to writing his own syndicated column. He has been awarded a National Humanities Medal from the National Endowment of the Humanities.

From AudioFile

Recorded collections of Keillor's monologues from broadcasts of "A Prairie Home Companion" have an engaging common thread. These pieces drop in on the lives of families, as seen from different points of view, including both grown child and parent. In "Children Will Break Your Heart," Keillor follows several generations of parents and children, depicting the repetition of family histories. Several of the essays salute families, encouraging us to be in touch with the ironies and challenges of kith and kin. Often poignant, with a tangible melancholy, as in "Bob Anderson's Last Dance," some pieces seem to share a confidence. Occasionally Keillor softens his voice almost to a whisper as he does with a young man's experiences in "The Flood." Several of the selections are lengthy and, while Keillor begins with humorous bits as introductions, the stories are contemplative and perspicacious, delivered with an ultimate command of the medium. Keillor is such a master raconteur that each odyssey is a treasure. R.F.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: HighBridge Company; Original radio broadcast edition (August 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565112261
• ISBN-13: 978-1565112261
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,753,125 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #39 in Books > Books on Cassette > Humor
  • #48 in Books > Books on Cassette > Radio Shows
  • #90 in Books > Books on Cassette > Parenting & Families > Family Relationships

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Voice of understanding, reassurance and wise humor, January 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Mother Father Uncle Aunt: Stories from Lake Wobegon (Audio Cassette)

I may be biased--I own nearly every tape and CD set Keillor has put out!! As expected, "Mother (etc.)" does not disappoint. I find his voice a tonic, curing me of everything from insomnia to pessimism. His stories are bittersweet ("Ronnie and the Winnebago" and "Love While You Dare To"), nostalgic and thought-provoking ("The Flood"). Keillor is not forcing morality and religion on us, he is speaking from the heart as he always does, regardless of subject matter.

Even though all we ever see of Keillor is an older, reserved looking character in photos, I can actually picture him as he worries, dreams and gets into trouble as a child and young man. His descriptions and delivery are nothing short of remarkable and his closing lines are poignantly sublime. Maybe that's why so many listeners actually think Lake Wobegon is real, or just wish it were....

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Garrison Keillor Fan, January 11, 2007

By 

D. Hall (Lancaster, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mother Father Uncle Aunt: Stories from Lake Wobegon (Audio Cassette)

Bought this for my father for a Christmas gift. He loved it and has just loaned it to me. If you enjoy Garrison Keillor and his wonderful story telling, you will love these tapes.

6 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not one of his best...., July 8, 2002

By 

Heidi Hess Saxton "Extraordinary Moms Network" (Milan, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mother Father Uncle Aunt: Stories from Lake Wobegon (Audio Cassette)

Now, I am a huge Keillor fan. I laughed myself hoarse over ... "Casey Strikes Out" and once climbed over twelve rows of seats in order to get his autograph on my dogeared copy of "Lake Wobegon Days."

But I've got to say, this wasn't up to his usual standard of excellence. Sorry, Mr. Keillor. I really wanted to like it. But the "magic" was missing.