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My Year with Eleanor: A Memoir
 
 
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My Year with Eleanor: A Memoir [Hardcover]

Noelle Hancock (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)

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Book Description

June 7, 2011

After losing her high-octane job as an entertainment blogger, Noelle Hancock was lost. About to turn twenty-nine, she'd spent her career writing about celebrities' lives and had forgotten how to live her own. Unemployed and full of self-doubt, she had no idea what she wanted out of life. She feared change—in fact, she feared almost everything. Once confident and ambitious, she had become crippled by anxiety, lacking the courage required even to attend a dinner party—until inspiration struck one day in the form of a quote on a chalkboard in a coffee shop:

"Do one thing every day that scares you."
—Eleanor Roosevelt

Painfully timid as a child, Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated herself to facing her fears, a commitment that shaped the rest of her life. With Eleanor as her guide, Noelle spends the months leading up to her thirtieth birthday pursuing a "Year of Fear." From shark diving to fighter pilot lessons, from tap dancing and stand-up comedy to confronting old boyfriends, her hilarious and harrowing adventures teach her about who she is, and what she can become—lessons she makes vital for all of us.


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Editorial Reviews

Review

“It’s a terrific book!” (Kathie Lee Gifford, The Today Show )

“Poignant...hysterical...While there are plenty of books with women ‘taking a year,’ don’t dismiss this one.” (Forbes.com )

“In this lighthearted and often funny memoir, Hancock...brings her experiences to vivid life and, through her interest in and compassion for Eleanor, is kinder to herself; there is plenty to entertain and inspire.” (Publishers Weekly )

“A charmingly candid memoir of the year a young journalist spent conquering her deepest fears.... Inspired, white-knuckled fun from start to finish.” (Kirkus Reviews )

“Whether she is confronting terrifying sharks in a diving cage or her tangled feelings about her boyfriend Matt, she demonstrates how thrilling it can be to face your fears. I double-dare you to read this book!” (Booklist )

“Eleanor taught Noelle that, first and foremost, Courage Takes Practice. Her yearlong quest to face her terrors, great and small, is moving, enriching, and hilarious—we readers are lucky to be along for the ride.” (Julie Powell, bestselling author of Julie & Julia )

“Noelle Hancock makes an eloquent case for spending a year with Eleanor Roosevelt, but an even more persuasive one for spending 300 pages with Noelle Hancock. Her book is a fresh and funny delight.” (Andy Borowitz )

“Noelle Hancock joyfully shows us the exhilaration of confronting fear, whether that fear is jumping out of airplanes or having a committed relationship with another adult—or reading something longer than a tweet.” (A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically )

“Beneath the hilarious and heart-racing adventures of Noelle Hancock’s year of fear is a wise and heartfelt book about becoming the person you’ve always wanted to be.” (Jill A. Davis, New York Times bestselling author of Girls' Poker Night )

“I honestly loved this book. It had all the qualities of great sex; intense, funny, and parts of it were so uncomfortable my palms were sweating.” (Jim Norton, New York Times bestselling author of I Hate Your Guts )

About the Author

NOELLE HANCOCK is a former staff writer for the New York Observer. Her work has appeared in GQ, Gawker, Us Weekly, and elsewhere. She was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and graduated from Yale University. She lives in Manhattan with her parakeets, Jesus and Stuart. Her parents are still holding out for law school.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Ecco (June 7, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061875031
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061875038
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,504 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Normally I'm somewhat wary of "I tried __ for a year" memoirs, but this one is delightful, inspiring and offers some history lessons. When Noelle Hancock learns that her entertainment blogging job has ended, she's at a loss as to what to do. In therapy, she's trying to overcome her fears, and she decides to look to Eleanor Roosevelt for advice, latching on to the First Lady's prompt to do one thing each that scares you. Hancock doesn't detail 365 feats, but the ones she does are at turns dramatic (shark diving, trapeze work, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro), unnerving (working at a mortuary to conquer her fear of death), amusing (doing standup comedy is the thing she fears most) and more everyday (weaning herself off sleeping pills). Along the way she writes about her fears about whether her boyfriend's reporter job will always outshadow her and the future of their relationship.

What I appreciated most is that Hancock is not trying to tell everyone to apply Eleanor's advice, and she grapples constantly with being "ready" to face her fears, taking her last sleeping pill when she is forced to by the mountain climb. She isn't overly self-deprecating, but does bare her fears in a way that makes it almost impossible not to like her as a narrator--or look inward at one's own fears. She also shines a bit of light on some of the major accomplishments of Eleanor Roosevelt, and while the two are from very different times, the effect Eleanor has on the author is clear in her references and devotion to living according to her spirit. This memoir never feels predetermined, and Hancock's insights into her accomplishments are as worthy of attention as her feats themselves, especially relating to Kiliminjaro. She shows an empathy and compassion that extends to her friends and those she meets (including the dead) as well as to herself.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was so excited for Noelle's book release that I literally stayed up late on a *school* night and waited until it was available to download onto my Kindle. Noelle's writing is so honest and personal that there is universal voice there; you are included and immediately feel like you, too, are along for the ride: The Year Of Fear.

So many parts were so meaningful to me, that they warranted being highlighted along the way, or I had to stop and call my sister to read her certain quotes - from Noelle, not Eleanor. These phone calls and debriefing sessions were the only thing standing in the way of a straight-through read. Upon finishing the book, I felt an odd loneliness... like a friendship was coming to an end. However, I had learned to fret not, so I did two things: 1) started re-reading my favorite chapters and 2) picked up a new hobby inspired from the book that had previously been something I feared. This book was a godsend...
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By MONeil
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
When I sat down to read this book, I was prepared to laugh. Having been a fan of Noelle's blog, I knew she was a hilarious writer. I was not, however, prepared to be completely and totally inspired. I began reading with the intention of reading a chapter before bed, and before I knew it I was done with the book in three hours. I couldn't put it down. Noelle had me laughing and tearing up, riding the emotional rollercoaster along with her and loving every minute of it. The novel is so relatable, it's a testament to growing up and dealing with all of the insecurities you acquire along the way. From facing up to ex-boyfriends to realizing how to handle serious relationships to jumping out of a plane to climbing a mountain, Noelle was incredibly inspirational throughout her journey. I'm not a huge fan of cheesy how-to-live-your-life books and this couldn't be more different, yet it really did give me the strength to think about what I'm most afraid of, and think of how I can change that. Plus, it made me really wish for a Dr. Bob in my life. A truly touching read.... with a large dose of a badass lead character.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
My Year with Eleanor Roosevelt
I not only recommend this book but I've bought it for 6 other people. It's a great look into Her life and how to direct oneself in the chosen direction. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Tamara Montgomery-Leefeldt
Inspiring book for anyone who needs to face their fears.
Noelle Hancock lost her job as she approached 30 and reexamined her life. She decided that she would follow the advice of Eleanor Roosevelt and start facing her fears big and... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Rob Mattheu
good read
The only thing that keeps me from giving this book five stars is the author's apparent love for obscenity. This is not a heavy tome for an intellectual. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Cara Lynn
My Year with Eleanor: A Memoir
I picked up this book because of the Eleanor Roosevelt connection and thoroughly enjoyed the parts about Mrs. Roosevelt. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Katherine E. Robertson
Life Changing
LOVED this book! Noelle Hancock is an entertaining writer and I related to the way she feels at the beginning of the book and was encouraged to change myself because of her... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Chris DiGuido
Be inspired to face your fears
A quick read that has spurred me to read Eleanor Roosevelt's autobiographies. I was impressed with Noelle's volunteer efforts at the hospital, but for the most part the feats she... Read more
Published 8 months ago by over 50 reader
One of the few memoirs that I found inspiring (and funny)!
Noelle Hancock, author of My Year with Eleanor: A Memoir, was on vacation when she found out she had been laid off from her job as an entertainment blogger. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Stephanie C.
Love this book
She does a great job evaluating fear on a real level....such an enlightening and wonderful book! Couldn't put this book down...her stories are delightful to read.
Published 8 months ago by Molly M. Mulholland
Terrific Read
Didn't expect to like this book, but Noelle's engaging writing style and honest and unfussy way of revealing herself won me over. Read more
Published 9 months ago by happycamper45
Wishing for More Depth, Fewer Embellished Tales
This book quickly lost my interest, I'm very sorry to say. Too much fluff and embellishment and cutesy dialogue that reads more like chick lit (and therefore, fiction) than a... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mom of Sons
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