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North of Normal
- A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Unusual Family, and How I Survived Both
- Narrated by: Cea Sunrise Person
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
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Nearly Normal
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In her best-selling memoir North of Normal, Cea wrote with grace about her unconventional childhood - her early years living in a tipi in Alberta with her pot-smoking, free-loving counterculture family. But her struggles do not end when she leaves her family at the age of 13 to become a model. Honest and daring, Nearly Normal reveals the many ways that Cea's unconventional childhood continues to reverberate through the years.
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once again could not turn it off
- By krypton on 2019-12-27
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Loved it. Quite an emotional roller coaster.
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Like when the author narrates😁
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Nearly Normal
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- Narrated by: Cea Sunrise Person
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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In her best-selling memoir North of Normal, Cea wrote with grace about her unconventional childhood - her early years living in a tipi in Alberta with her pot-smoking, free-loving counterculture family. But her struggles do not end when she leaves her family at the age of 13 to become a model. Honest and daring, Nearly Normal reveals the many ways that Cea's unconventional childhood continues to reverberate through the years.
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once again could not turn it off
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Written by: Cea Sunrise Person
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Ruth Wariner was the 39th of her father's 42 children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turned a blind eye to the practices of her community, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity. At church, preachers teach that God will punish the wicked by destroying the world and that women can ascend to heaven only by entering into polygamous marriages and giving birth to as many children as possible.
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Loved it. Quite an emotional roller coaster.
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Publisher's Summary
Sex, drugs, and...bug stew? In the vein of The Glass Castle and Wild, Cea Sunrise Person's compelling memoir of a childhood spent with her dysfunctional counter-culture family in the Canadian wilderness - a searing story of physical, emotional, and psychological survival.
In the late 1960s, riding the crest of the counterculture movement, Cea's family left a comfortable existence in California to live off the land in the Canadian wilderness. But unlike most commune dwellers of the time, the Persons weren't trying to build a new society - they wanted to escape civilization altogether. Led by Cea's grandfather Dick, they lived a pot-smoking, free-loving, clothing-optional life under a canvas tipi without running water, electricity, or heat for the bitter winters.
Living out her grandparents' dream with her teenage mother Michelle, young Cea knew little of the world beyond her forest. She spent her summers playing nude in the meadow and her winters snowshoeing behind the grandfather she idolized. Despite fierce storms, food shortages, and the occasional drug-and-sex-infused party for visitors, it seemed to be a mostly happy existence. For Michelle, however, now long separated from Cea's father, there was one crucial element missing: a man. When Cea was five, Michelle took her on the road with a new boyfriend. As the trio set upon a series of ill-fated adventures, Cea began to question both her highly unusual world and the hedonistic woman at the centre of it - questions that eventually evolved into an all-consuming search for a more normal life. Finally, in her early teens, Cea realized she would have to make a choice as drastic as the one her grandparents once had in order to save herself.
While a successful international modeling career offered her a way out of the wilderness, Cea discovered that this new world was in its own way daunting and full of challenges. North of Normal is Cea's funny, shocking, heartbreaking, and triumphant tale of self-discovery and acceptance, adversity, and strength that will leave no listener unmoved.
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What listeners say about North of Normal
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 2018-01-21
Could have been better
If you're going to write Little Women in a contemporary setting, you should really be taking more risks. This is pretty bland and reads (sounds) a lot like every other boring teen show on television.
The author isn't even a bad writer, it's just that she didn't do anything special with this book and had the characters acting unlike themselves. As a long time fan (and a many time re-reader) of Little Women, I wasn't very impressed.
The most positive thing I could say about it is that I really enjoyed the voice actors.
4 people found this helpful
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- Carolyn Cooper-McOuatt
- 2020-02-16
Thank You
This book has been written from a place of a gracious heart. I appreciate the authors courage and ability to hold the vision for good in her life regardless of the obstacles she faced. Her love for self inspires me greatly.
Thank you for digging deep and sharing your story with us🙏
3 people found this helpful
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- Elizabeth W.
- 2018-01-24
Excellent. Power through adversity.
I loved it. it's a true story written through the eyes of a child as she tries to comprehend the crazy world around her. Written for all of us who feel our childhood was the craziest. Adult reading with adult situations. I could not put this book down and I'm glad that I didn't. Well done Cia, well done.
3 people found this helpful
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- Esme
- 2021-06-08
Outstanding book
This is a great story, well written and performed by the author Cea Sunrise Person. She really brings to life the spirit of the times (the 70’s) with her unconventional, pot-smoking , promiscuous who took her to live in the wilderness of Canada’s north. Some reviewers say the language is too graphic snd the mother was just awful but there is much more nuance to this story than that. Cea Person is a courageous, intelligent woman who wrote from her heart and didn’t shy away from the tough stuff. She didn’t sugarcoat it and for me it made her story very authentic and real. I loved the book and am now going to read her next book. Her narration, which isn’t that of a professional narrator, adds to the authenticity of the book and has its own charm to listen to. I didn’t want it to end, that’s how much I enjoyed this book.
1 person found this helpful
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- Chantel
- 2022-12-08
Great Memoir
What a crazy life she led. Very interesting and captivating. Makes me really appreciate what I have and for my “normal” childhood. Highly recommend!
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-06-29
Fantastic!
One of the most incredible and unique stories I’ve ever heard! It was a joy and a wonder from start to finish!
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- Tammy
- 2022-05-26
Interesting Story... but
I really wanted to like this book but I found it too long and drawn out.
I kept fast forwarding.
Cea's life was definitely different.
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- Nano
- 2022-01-29
WELL DONE; COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN
I really enjoyed this book and was shocked to hear about the lack of good safe parenting provided for the writer. Amazing that she carved out her own different niche despite her upcoming, but as depicted, some of her experiences provided her with a toolbox she needed to do this; others of course have support systems they can rely on. I enjoyed the author reading the book as it increased its' authenticity for me. Cea is a very forgiving person (no pun intended), and captured the strengths and weaknesses of many of her family members. Thank you for sharing your unusual journey and I am very happy that you eventually found love and true freedom defining YOUR own boundaries.
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- Sahar Najm
- 2021-10-23
Touching and beautifully narrated
I enjoyed this so much that I had to pace myself so I don't finish it too quickly. Broke my heart at times, and opened my mind in others. Cea is such a survivor who takes us on a journey of struggle, and healing. I was so inspired and did a lot of self reflection about my life, my relationship with my family, and who I am as a person.
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- Brooke
- 2021-10-03
❤
Oh Cea, I'm so glad you came so far despite the hardship of growing up structureless and basically without parental guidance, I know how uneasy it can be. I loved the book, thank you!
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- RBC
- 2019-05-26
Narrator is terrible.
The narration sounds like a third grader giving a speech. Sing songy and brutal. Impossible to listen to.