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Bliss, Remembered Audiobook
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(3.06) - 472 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
With Bliss, Remembered, the celebrated Frank Deford has produced a work of literature that ranks with the best of his many novels, including Everybody's All American, which Sports Illustrated ranked as one of the twenty-five best sports books of all time. In Bliss, Remembered, Deford explores new territory as he tells two love stories from the perspective of a beautiful should-have-been Olympic champion named Sydney Stringfellow.
At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Sydney begins an intense love affair with a German, but the affair abruptly ends when political forces tear them apart. Back in the United States, Sydney—daring, vulnerable, and memorable—is left healing her broken heart when a striking American begins to pursue her. In Deford's tender novel, the simplicity and honesty of choices of the heart clash with a brutal time—a time when choices seemed so dire in the enveloping shadows of a changing world.
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"BLISS REMEMBERED By Frank Deford This multilayered, finely crafted novel is basically a memoir written so well you are captivated by the lives of the characters. Sydney Stringfellow goes to the 1936 Berlin Olympics and falls in love with a handsome young German. Politics and distance separate them, and she returns home broken hearted. Eventually she meets a kind young American that she marries just before he is shipped off to the Pacific theater of World War II. Nearing death, Sydney tells her son about those spectacular, glamorous long ago times of her life full of wonderful adventures with some huge surprises along the way. This poignant story is utterly charming, and an excellent read. Mr. Deford creates a great sense of character and period that will capture you and draw you into the separate stories and periods."
— JoAnne (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“I’ve long been a huge fan of Frank Deford’s writing, and this wonderful novel is further confirmation that he is much more than one of America’s best sports writers—he is one of our country’s best writers, period.”
— Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author -
“One of the greatest writers of our time, Frank Deford has done it again. This book is compelling, insightful, and Frank even shows us his romantic side. I didn’t just like it, I loved it.”
— Billie Jean King -
“If you’ve always enjoyed Frank Deford’s sportswriting, you’re in for a surprising, blissful departure with Bliss, Remembered…Deford’s story takes us through Nazi Germany, heroes and villains real and imagined, love, lust, heartbreak, and heroism. There’s a hell of an ending, too. Who knew that Frank Deford, apart from everything else, is a crazy romantic?”
— Mary Carillo -
“Told as a memoir, Deford’s newest is entertaining and thought provoking. He has a superb sense of character and period, and readers will at once feel drawn into the turbulent times. The memoir device, while overused in many books, is put to excellent effect…The surprising twist will catch readers off guard but not leave them feeling cheated. This is a poignant story, utterly charming and enjoyable.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“A work of enthralling historical fiction…Deford slyly teaches readers something about 1930s–1940s history while also writing convincingly about love and war. Sydney is a spirited narrator whose fictional memoir is sprinkled with innumerable colloquialisms and many reflective of the era. Highly recommended.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“This multilayered, finely crafted, and elegantly constructed novel will appeal both to readers of historical fiction and to those who crave any kind of writing that is genuinely inspiring.”
— Booklist
Bliss, Remembered Listener Reviews
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" ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC READ!!!!!!!!!!!! IF I COULD, IT WOULD GET MORE STARS!! "
— Grace, 2/10/2014 -
" Fabulous story, which gets the reader interested right from chapter one! "
— Dev, 1/19/2014 -
" Loved the main character and what a surprise ending! "
— Rreminger, 11/19/2013 -
" This story defies any category, being historical fiction, a love story, and getting to details of WWII and the Nazis you don't think about as far as their infiltrating the U.S., told by a mother who is dying from cancer to her son who had just assumed many things about his parents that weren't entirely true, or even close to what he thought was the reality of his mother and father's life together. It was slow to get into, but gripping as the story picked up. "
— Wendy, 11/7/2013 -
" Loved, loved, loved this book! This would make an amazing movie! "
— Vicki, 10/13/2013 -
" I'm only 60 pages in, but I'd describe Bliss, Remembered like this: it makes my heart smile. "
— Shannon, 10/3/2013 -
" loved this book, saw the first twist a mile away but the second twist was a great surprie. Loved the narrator's voice "
— Anne, 9/24/2013 -
" A "Reader's Choice" book which blended the 1936 Berlin Olympics with the beginning of WWII. It was slow moving and the author's repeated use of the name Teddy in the dialogue (I counted 19 on one page!) was distracting. The last chapter was the best in the book. "
— Donna, 8/24/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book - it is about a young woman who attended the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Very interesting - I like books that retell a life story by the person who lived it to someone who really cares about them. "
— Cara, 8/6/2013 -
" i had the opportunity to meet frank deford at bea and received an autographed advanced copy of this book. in the time we had to chat, i found him very charming and so comfortable to talk with. a good book with a very unexpected twist. "
— Jec, 5/16/2013 -
" Nice story, happy ending...a little contrived, writing-style a little forced. "
— Laurie, 3/12/2013 -
" I loved this book! One of my favorites this year! "
— Sherri, 2/23/2013 -
" Thoroughly entertaining and often delightful. I was smitten from the beginning and even laughed out loud a few times. Excellent story. Loved that I did not guess how it was going to play out. You should read this book!! NOW! "
— Molly, 11/18/2012 -
" #2 book of the year for me. Most enjoyable-! "
— Nikki, 4/15/2012 -
" i found it to be a quick read - don't think I would want to hear some of the things from my mother. "
— Patricia, 2/4/2012 -
" Was told that even if I didn't love the 1st half of this book, to stick with it. That is exactly what happened to me - glad I listened to the person who recommended it. Has a lot of Maryland landmarks mentioned in this story - interesting read. "
— Sherry, 12/8/2011 -
" Great Read. Fabulous Ending. "
— Ann, 11/17/2011 -
" Beautifully written, wonderful story. EVERYONE should read this book. "
— Britt,, 10/2/2011 -
" 5 STARS! Yes. It was that good. I love a great love story and this is it. It isn't sappy or . . . . it is just so good! "
— Anne, 9/27/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this read--some twists and turns toward the end. "
— Connie, 5/13/2011 -
" Loved the main character and what a surprise ending! "
— Rreminger, 5/3/2011 -
" i found it to be a quick read - don't think I would want to hear some of the things from my mother. "
— Patricia, 3/26/2011 -
" Interesting historical fiction that takes place during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. A little sappy for me, but a fun read, with a twist at the end. "
— Carol, 3/4/2011 -
" Pretty fun story, sometimes clumsily presented, but it's a quick read. "
— Jeannie, 3/4/2011 -
" I did really like this story...The mom telling the story of her youth was very spunky. Her morals.... not the greatest and some of her views on things were very interesting..however, it was entertaining with a twist. The big question..what would you do for love?? "
— Lori, 2/7/2011 -
" I loved this book. I kept wanting to know what happened next. "
— Ruth, 1/5/2011 -
" Fascinating story with lots of twists and turns. Didn't like the authors back and forth conversations to get the story told. Didn't really like the charactars but the story was compelling "
— Tamra, 12/29/2010
About Frank Deford
Frank Deford, author of The Entitled, is senior contributing writer for Sports Illustrated (and six-time Sportswriter of the Year), NPR commentator, and correspondent for HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. He has won a Peabody, an Emmy, and countless other awards. He lives in Westport, Connecticut.
About the Narrators
Pam Ward, an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator, found her true calling reading books for the blind and physically handicapped for the Library of Congress’ Talking Books program. The fact that she can work with Blackstone Audio from the beauty of the mountains of Southern Oregon is an unexpected bonus.
Traber Burns worked for thirty-five years in regional theater, including the New York, Oregon, and Alabama Shakespeare festivals. He also spent five years in Los Angeles appearing in many television productions and commercials, including Lost, Close to Home, Without a Trace, Boston Legal, Grey’s Anatomy, Cold Case, Gilmore Girls, and others.