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Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon---and the Journey of a Generation Audiobook
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(3.01) - 2,113 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Carly Simon remain among the most enduring and important women in popular music. Each woman is distinct: King is the product of outer-borough, middle-class New York City; Mitchell is a granddaughter of Canadian farmers; and Simon is a child of the Manhattan intellectual upper crust. They collectively represent, in their lives and their songs, a great swath of American girls who came of age in the late 1960s. Their stories trace the arc of the now-mythic generation known as "the sixties"—the female version—but in a bracingly specific and deeply recalled way, far from cliché. The history of the women of that generation had never been written—until now—and it is told through the resonant lives and emblematic songs of Mitchell, Simon, and King.
Filled with the voices of many dozens of these women's intimates, this alternating biography reads like a novel—except it's all true, and the heroines are famous and beloved. Sheila Weller captures the character of each woman and gives a balanced portrayal enriched by a wealth of new information.
Girls Like Us is an epic treatment of midcentury women who dared to break tradition and become what none had been before them—confessors in song, rock superstars, and adventurers of heart and soul.
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"Such a great book! Unlike some bios where the author seems just to spew facts, Weller really told a story about how these three women set the tone (soundtrack?) for feminist movements. I loved reading about how Joni, Carly, and Carole's lives were all intertwined--at times more closely than they even realized. Some of the other reviewers have commented on Weller's writing style. It is a bit clunky, but once you get used to her rhythm, it's a non-issue. HIGHLY recommended!"
— Kim (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Both scholarly and dishy. A superb journalist, Weller has managed to uncover a trove of unreported facts on her subjects.”
— People (4 stars) -
“This is a fabulous book…Girls like Us unfolds with drama and panoramic detail.”
— Sunday Times (London) -
“A page-turner of the first order….a must read.”
— Boston Globe -
“Nostalgia, feminist history, astute insight, beautiful music, and irresistible gossip about the common factors in the three women’s lives.”
— New York Times -
“Any woman who grew up during the late 1960s and ‘70s will fall head over heels for Sheila Weller’s Girls Like Us."
— Ladies Home Journal -
“Conveys a visceral sense of not only them but also their tumultuous generation.”
— Barnes&Noble.com -
“This absorbing, well-reported book chronicles a time when women in all walks of life were exercising new-found freedom. And as icons of that era, nobody did it better.”
— Christian Science Monitor
Awards
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A People Pick of the Week
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A New York Times bestseller
Girls Like Us Listener Reviews
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" My goodness, I loved this book. Joni Mitchell is like my favorite person ever, besides Shakespeare, and I do like Carly Simon. Carole King was unknown to me, though, so this was cool. "
— Helen, 2/17/2014 -
" This book took me back to my late teens and early 20s, with info about some of my favorites singers, and their lives (and loves). I've recommended it to everyone, especially those who grew up in the 60s and 70s.....or that are fans of these ladies! "
— Tallsharon, 2/5/2014 -
" Excellent and excruciatingly detailed look at the talented women of the baby boom generation. It was quite an eye-opener to learn how painful and difficult it was to be a female musician trying to make it in the male-oriented music business during these times -- which really were not that long ago. "
— Kaelie, 2/4/2014 -
" Interesting look at the 60s-70s music scene through the lives of three women and artists -- Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon. I was much more familiar with Joni Mitchell than the other two (or at least I thought I was -- I didn't realize how many iconic songs Carole King had written) and was interested in the whole Laurel Canyon era and scene. One of the things that again really struck home, especially after having read Just Kids, about another woman's artistic journey, is how incredibly difficult it was to be a woman and navigate the music business, or the world, in a time that really wasn't that long ago. Although the interweaving of each woman's life story with the others was a little difficult to get used to at first, I thought it had a greater resonance as the women moved into their adult careers, and often faced similar situations (or even the same men -- who knew James Taylor would be such a draw?) with different reactions. A couple of caveats: at times this falls into the "don't learn too much about your heroes" category, as especially Joni Mitchell does not always come off as admirably as one might have hoped; and while the book is extremely thorough and well-researched, the writing is often weak, and the author has a tendency toward purple prose, especially when "interpreting" song lyrics for us. Overall an engrossing and detailed portrait of the time. "
— Jae, 2/2/2014 -
" This book was basically made for me. If you're at all interested in the time period, or the music, or the women themselves, you'll probably enjoy. "
— Alex, 1/29/2014 -
" I really just wanted to read about joni... "
— Jessica, 1/23/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this book. Filled with facts and dates and timelines, so it takes some time to read. But very informative! "
— Lisa, 1/20/2014 -
" way way way too long! i think perhaps the author was paid by the word? i listened to it on cd - all 19 discs - and wish they'd had a cliff notes version! "
— Sqwalsh, 1/9/2014 -
" I admit I am a huge fan of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon, and I enjoyed reading about their personal and professional lives. But this book is more than that. "
— Becky, 11/13/2013 -
" lots of fun trivial facts ... I dunno... I liked it. Wasn't knocked out by it. "
— Mandi, 10/6/2013 -
" This biography of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon is so much more than the story of their lives and music. It also documents much of the stormy '60's and the feminist movement. If you came of age during that time or love these singers and their music, you will love this book. "
— Latitude, 9/14/2013 -
" I returned it to the library unfinished. It's really good though, just more about the music scene than about the lives of the women. I kept skipping around to read about Carole King. It's a long book so maybe I'll try it again later. "
— Wyma, 8/30/2013 -
" I'm excited to read about the women who shaped my youth with their extraordinary music. Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell and Carol King helped push back barriers for women, "one song at a time". "
— Ellen, 8/28/2013 -
" Interesting topic, but really could have been edited down to half its size. "
— Eileen, 7/23/2013 -
" This was such a fun book, I couldn't put it down. It's just the right mix of gossipy, analytic, informational. "
— Elizabeth, 6/23/2012 -
" Don't bother. No way could I finish this. "
— Jan, 11/9/2011 -
" I did not want this book to end. LOVED it. "
— Kate, 9/15/2011 -
" Autobiography that reads like a novel. "
— Lisa, 7/28/2011 -
" Christmas gift from the lovely Miss Rude. "
— Christen, 7/7/2011 -
" A great collection of heroes for every female musician. I especially enjoyed watching the common thread of romantic entanglement with James Taylor. "
— Michaela, 5/20/2011 -
" Excellent....fascinating. Love Carole King....first half is more fun than last half. "
— Allison, 3/16/2011 -
" I haven't even finished this book. Unless you are just Totally engrossed in the era of Joni Mitchel Carole Kind and Carly Simon (Whom I was reading it for) It is just a total bore. Sorry every one. "
— Amber, 2/13/2011 -
" Fastinating story about music icons. Warning - you will want to download a lot of music while you read about the back stories to the songs. "
— Beth, 2/10/2011 -
" great. loved it. took a long time to get through. "
— Tammy, 2/10/2011 -
" For the most part, I enjoyed this book. It brought me back to listening to some wonderful music I had long since put away. <br/> "
— Bonnie, 1/30/2011 -
" I loved it! Any fan of the music of that era and juicily parenthetical prose would enjoy this. "
— Christina, 1/6/2011
About Sheila Weller
Sheila Weller is the author of several acclaimed works of nonfiction, including the life of Carrie Fisher, a family memoir Dancing at Ciro’s, the New York Times bestseller Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon—and the Journey of a Generation; and The News Sorority: Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpour—and the Triumph of Women in TV News. Her investigative, human interest, and cultural history journalism has won her multiple major magazine awards, including six New York Newswomen's Club Front Page Awards. She also won a 2006 Exceptional Merit in Media Award from the National Women's Political Caucus and a third place award from the National Association of Black Journalists for her reporting in Mississippi, for Glamour, on the fortieth anniversary of the Schwerner-Chaney-Goodman murders.
About Susan Ericksen
Susan Ericksen is an actor and voice-over artist. She has been awarded numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. As an actor and director, she has worked in theaters throughout the country.