Falling Backwards
A Memoir
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Narrated by:
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Jann Arden
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Written by:
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Jann Arden
About this listen
Jann Arden is funny. And sincere. She has legions of devoted fans. And a radio show. She is a darling of the music scene - always candid, always unplugged. You thought you knew Jann Arden, but there is more - to her listeners' delight, in Falling Backwards Jann reveals her childhood, her bond with family, her struggle in the formative years and what keeps her so grounded in the whirlwind entertainment industry. Jann has always been true to herself, except for a minor lapse when she was young. Oh wait, wasn't that all of us?
From the tender and honest to the laugh-out-loud funny, Jann's stories from home and from the road during her pre-celebrity years will take you to unexpected places, including high school parties in farmer's fields, sleepovers under the stars, hard-to-believe summer jobs and the time she was stuck upside down in a brick barbecue. She reminds us of the inestimable value to a child of having teachers who believe in you and wide open spaces to play. But with the good times come the bad (and not just the bad perm).
Jann opens up about the darker side of her so-called prairie-perfect nuclear family and the first signs that her eldest brother was a uniquely troubled young man. In the days when Jann was experiencing a lot of firsts - first school play, first home perm, first kiss - how lucky for all of us that she stole away to her basement and taught herself her first song on her mother's guitar.
In addition to being an incredible musician and multi-award-winning lyricist, Jann is a natural writer and simply an inspiration. Jann will capture your heart - and keep you in stitches - with her powerful stories about coming of age as an artist and as a human being. Jann brings her wit and that infectious sparkle to everything she does. This book is no exception.
©2011 Jann Arden (P)2020 Penguin Random House CanadaYou may also enjoy...
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What the critics say
National Best Seller
"As talented, funny and engaging as Jann Arden can be, perhaps the most impressive thing about the eight-time Juno Award winner is her modesty." (The Globe and Mail)
"The type of free-spirited, brutally truthful woman who can stand toe to toe with any man or woman. Funny and not afraid to sprinkle an interview with helpings of words your mother would never allow in the house, Arden is two parts poet and one part your crazy aunt." (The Toronto Sun)
"[Jann Arden is] abundantly and humorously generous with herself in public.... No doubt Arden holds some secrets, some passions, some pain close to the vest, but, like the best gossip in the neighbourhood, she diverts our attention with titillating yarns." (Toronto Star)
Featured Article: Outstanding Female Authors Everyone Ought to Listen to
Throughout history, women have crafted some of the most incredible and beloved stories in the world. From rising stars to household names, female authors have contributed some of the best works of all time for our listening pleasure. At times, especially in societies where gender roles and expectations were rigidly defined, women would write under pen names to avoid the fact that a woman was behind the work. Discover the best female authors.
What listeners say about Falling Backwards
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kristina Milne
- 2021-03-08
Your words are so similar to my own!!
As I started listening to your words, I couldn't believe how similar they were to my own. The only difference being that it was my Mom who was abusive to my warm and loving Dad and I was the only adoptee out of 5 children. I am now 60 and have been talking about writing my own Memoir and after listening to your words, I know now that I need to continue where I have left off. Your own experiences of sexual abuse are so similar to my own except that I would be coerced by words where saying 'NO' didn't matter. Thank you so much for sharing your many experiences, good, bad, sad and happy!! I have been a great fan of yours from the first time I heard 'Insenitive'. I couldn't believe my luck when I won a pair of tickets to one of your Vancouver concerts and enjoyed your wit and all of your songs you sang that night. You are a Canadian treasure in my eyes!!! Love you Jann!!!
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-07-13
She's GREAT.
She's great!! Wonderful listen. Would have loved more stories related to her carreer, but the stories she shared were so relatable.
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-10-14
Jann Fan
It was nice to hear Jann voice reading her own story. As much as her life has been challenging, it's wonderful that it was also so ordinary. Her genuine Jann shines through.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-05-29
A Treasured Canadian Storyteller
Though Jann is most famously known for her music, her storytelling is a close second for me. I feel like I was living inside each story Jann told in this memoir and walking with her through her childhood. I look forward to reading more of Jann's books (while listening to her music, of course...like a true fan!!)
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- Anonymous User
- 2021-02-21
A must listen
Jann is such a great storyteller. She is honest, open and hilarious. She has always been one of my favorite singer songwriters ever since I first saw her and Dave Hart way back when. Now she's a favorite author as well.
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- Anonymous User
- 2021-08-02
Love this!
I’ve been a big Jann fan from her first album, and I’m even more of a fan after listening to her partial autobiography. Highly recommend!!
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- Anonymous User
- 2021-08-17
Loved it
Her story is heartwarming, funny and is a must for your list of must listens!
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-07-05
Well written raw honesty and integrity of a single artist
Sooo well written and directed by realistic and warm energy of a no where lost soul ln doubt of such split captured with in. Bravo Jan glad you shared this.
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- Sher
- 2021-01-22
Engaging and Enjoyable
Really connected with the reader. I love the openess that Jann has always shared her life with her fans and followers.
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- Anonymous User
- 2021-05-09
Wonderful!
Thank you Jann for writing this book. Jann tells her story with honesty and a down to earth warmth. I felt as though she is a close friend, sitting around the kitchen table, sharing her adventures. Some were uplifting, some a challenge. So relatable, It was like I was living her past along with her. I could not put the audiobook down. There were parts that touched home so deeply, but all left a feeling of kindred sisterhood.
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