Goodbye Without Leaving

A Novel

By: Laurie Colwin

Narrated by: Renata Friedman

One of the most beloved novels from the critically acclaimed novelist Laurie Colwin, Goodbye Without Leaving explores a woman’s attempts to reconcile her rock-and-roll past with her significantly more sedate family life as a wife and mother.

As a bored graduate student, Geraldine Colshares is plucked from her too-tame existence when she is invited to tour as the only white backup singer for Vernon and Ruby Shakely and the Shakettes. The exciting years she spends as a Shakette are a mixed blessing, however, because when she ultimately submits to a conventional life of marriage and children, she finds herself stuck in bittersweet recollections of life on the road. As she grudgingly searches for a path toward happiness that doesn't involve a Day-Glo neon minidress, readers will be enchanted by Geraldine’s attempts to grow up, even though she’s already an adult.

Employing Colwin’s usual dry wit and candor, Goodbye Without Leaving is a classic from the writer hailed as “ingenious, comic, and spirited” by the Boston Globe and “a writer of originality and vision" by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Still good

Very strange set up but still a good journey punctuated by Colwin’s bright writing. As always, it’s her voice that elevates even a meandering story like this.

An excellent performance

This is the best narration of Laurie Colwin’s fiction - other than read by the author - that I have heard so far. My only objection is the voice of the child who luckily doesn’t speak a lot. I also have that complaint pretty consistently when narrators use a Lambchop by Sherri Lewis voice for children’s dialogue in audiobooks. What was impressive is this narration was the voices of the European refugees - very very well done. Highly recommended even for big Laurie Colwin fans like myself.

Colwin's Best

This one, Family Happiness, and Shine on Bright and Dangerous Object ( which i wish was on Audible)are my favorites of hers. What an amazing voice and charm she had. Great reader too.