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Our Hearts Were Young and Gay: An Unforgettable Comic Chronicle of Innocents Abroad in the 1920s Audiobook
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(4.01) - 582 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
"To know Emily is to enhance one's days with gaiety, charm and occasional terror."—Cornelia Otis Skinner of her coauthor, Emily Kimbrough
Actress Cornelia Otis Skinner and journalist Emily Kimbrough offer a lighthearted, hilarious memoir of their European tour in the 1920s, when they were fresh out of college from Bryn Mawr. Some of the more amusing anecdotes involve a pair of rabbit-skin capes that begin shedding at the most inopportune moments and an episode in which the girls are stranded atop Notre Dame cathedral at midnight. And, of course, there's romance, in the form of handsome young doctor Tom Newhall and college "Lothario" Avery Moore. Published in 1942, the book spent five weeks at the top of the New York Times bestseller list in the winter of 1943 and was made into a motion picture in 1944.
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"This is a real charmer. Two college girls go on a trip to Europe in the 1920s. A classic travel book with the same kinds of travel mishaps that everyone has experienced, from ridiculous money belts to delays (rather than an airline, theirs is a ship in Canada, but ends up with her contracting measles from a bunch of kids she visits on the stopover), with a wry and witty chronicler in the author."
— Sara (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Full of bright humor and the searching sadness of girlhood.”
— Life -
“Celeste Lawson does a fine reading of this classic memoir…the young women experience one madcap adventure after another. Without excessive ingenuousness, Lawson keeps her reading on an even keel, allowing clever dialogue, comical situations, and witty repartee to carry the story forward. Nostalgia for a time when the most expensive item on a chic restaurant’s menu was $2.95 will keep listeners engaged.”
— AudioFile -
“A superior bit of giddiness…There’s hilarity in their descriptions of the things they did, the way they behaved and the strange things that happened to them.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Our Hearts Were Young and Gay Listener Reviews
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" I love all the Cornelia Otis Skinner/Emily Kimbrough books--such windows on time! Wonderful humor- "
— Bethany, 2/9/2014 -
" I read this book years ago, the first time, and loved it. It may have been after ready Betsy and the Great World, but I can't be sure of that. I've read it since, and I still love it. I think it was one of my grandmother's books we inherited when I was a kid. "
— Sallie, 1/28/2014 -
" very funny tale of two young gals travelling abroad. they're very entertaining, and awfully cheeky! has been a pleasant summer read. "
— Vanessa, 1/23/2014 -
" Loved this book! Two best friends and their big trip through Europe- so funny. "
— Melanie, 1/19/2014 -
" Cute, funny memoir of 2 highly sheltered American girls in Europe alone in the 1920s. "
— Amy, 1/18/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this. I like biographies. This wasn't one of my favourites, but I did like it. "
— Beth, 12/30/2013 -
" I've read this book several times - thinking of my aunt who introduced it to me along with "O Ye Jigs and Julips". Old as it is (1942), it's still hilarious! "
— NancyL, 11/30/2013 -
" A cute novel about two sisters who go taveling abroad together. Adorable and set in a wonderful time period!:) "
— Ann, 8/25/2013 -
" Sought this out when it was referenced in a book I was reading. I bit old-fashioned but I knew that ahead of time and so had a delightful dual reading. "
— Dottie, 7/10/2013 -
" This book, written in 1942, brought back many memories for me of when I went to France for my first (and only)time when I was 20. I enjoyed it as much this time as I did in 1991 when I read it for the first time. "
— Pat, 4/21/2013 -
" A little slow at first, but sweet and light. "
— Jillian, 4/21/2013 -
" This book is hilarious - the madcap adventures of two American Bryn Mawr gals in Europe in the 1920s, written by them in the 1940s. Cornelia Otis Skinner was a pretty famous playwright and actress in the 20s-50s. "
— Karen, 3/27/2013 -
" I first read OUR HEARTS WERE YOUNG AND GAY when i was in a convent in Vermont. I was 14 or 15. The pleasure which I find in it then has not diminished. it's like visiting with old friends. There are scenes which are hilarious and have withstood the test of time. A tuly enjoyable read for all ages. "
— Anna, 3/18/2013 -
" It had me laughing uncontrollably and so hard tears were running down my face. Highly, HIGHLY recommended. (Her other works didn't have the same power over me -- not sure if they aren't as good as this title, or my expecttions were too high ...) "
— Spennke, 11/3/2012 -
" Not to be missed. This is a must read. "
— Debra, 2/23/2012 -
" Delightful. Hadn't read this in years and years and it still makes me laugh. The reader was excellent. "
— Karen, 2/13/2012 -
" just plumb hilarious. and the fact that it's true? even better. a true travel adventure and historical, ta boot. "
— S, 8/10/2011 -
" Amusing account from two teens who travel to London and France. Fast read. "
— Jan, 8/18/2010 -
" The play was only ok, but the characters were funny so it was worth the read. "
— Clgbear, 7/29/2010 -
" I read this years ago as a teenager at my mother's recommendation. It's such a hoot and such a good picture of a bygone era, and Cornelia Otis Skinner has such a flair for the idiosyncratic, as evidenced in her many colorful monologues. Great fun. "
— Christopher, 4/28/2009 -
" Without a doubt this is my favorite book ever. I seldom reread books but I've read this one at least 4 or 5 times and I laugh until I cry each time. I buy copies at used book sales and give them to my friends. "
— Carol, 1/4/2009 -
" Found this at Grounds, a copy printed in 1944. The cover is bright purple with people dancing (drawn in silver). Absolutely lovely and in great condition. "
— Alaina, 8/21/2008 -
" Parts of this were laugh out loud funny. It really was enjoyable, but I did like it slightly less than I thought I would considering how much I like books from that period. But definitely worth a read. "
— carrietracy, 6/22/2008 -
" The book is an absolute delight and one of my all time favorites. I've read it many times and can highly recommend it to others. "
— Ehsa, 3/23/2008
About the Authors
Cornelia Otis Skinner (1901–1979) briefly attended Bryn Mawr College and later studied theatre at the Sorbonne in Paris. Throughout her career, she wrote a number of novels, biographies, essays, and screenplays. She also acted in a variety of films and shows, including a one-woman performance of short character sketches that toured the country from 1926–1929.
About Celeste Lawson
Celeste Lawson is an Earphones Award winner and Audie Award nominee. She is the recording studio director for the Talking Books Program at the Library of Congress’ National Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. She was a dancer and an actor before finding her niche in the intriguing, challenging, and extremely satisfying world of narration. In Silver Spring, Maryland, where she lives with her husband, daughter, and cat, she practices yoga and continues to dance. Celeste has also recorded for Blackstone Audio under the name C. M. Hébert.