The Escape Artist cover art

The Escape Artist

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection of 900K+ titles.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto-renews for $8.99/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Escape Artist

Written by: Helen Fremont
Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
Try Standard free

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $27.74

Buy Now for $27.74

About this listen

 A luminous new memoir from the author of the critically acclaimed national bestseller After Long Silence, The Escape Artist has been lauded by New York Times bestselling author Mary Karr as “beautifully written, honest, and psychologically astute. A must-read.”

In the tradition of Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home and George Hodgman’s Bettyville, Fremont writes with wit and candor about growing up in a household held together by a powerful glue: secrets. Her parents, profoundly affected by their memories of the Holocaust, pass on to both Helen and her older sister a zealous determination to protect themselves from what they see as danger from the outside world.

Fremont delves deeply into the family dynamic that produced such a startling devotion to secret keeping, beginning with the painful and unexpected discovery that she has been disinherited in her father’s will. In scenes that are frank, moving, and often surprisingly funny, She writes about growing up in such an intemperate household, with parents who pretended to be Catholics but were really Jews—and survivors of Nazi-occupied Poland. She shares tales of family therapy sessions, disordered eating, her sister’s frequently unhinged meltdowns, and her own romantic misadventures as she tries to sort out her sexual identity. Searching, poignant, and ultimately redemptive, The Escape Artist is a powerful contribution to the memoir shelf. Dysfunctional Relationships Parenting & Families Relationships Funny

What the critics say

"Even if you haven't read Fremont's preceding memoir, AFTER LONG SILENCE, this is an audiobook worth experiencing, one that stands memorably on its own. Narrator Gabra Zackman's deep, rich voice exudes a confidence and compassion that immediately capture the listener's attention and hold it as Fremont's account of a family full of secrets reveals itself. The honest ring of Zackman's performance is well suited to Fremont's clear-eyed recollections of family strife and personal struggles. Zackman's clarity and businesslike pace make the most of Fremont's compelling family history. Overall, her vocals notably complement the text. So, yes, you can appreciate this audiobook without having read its predecessor, but once you've heard this one, you'll likely want to go back and start at the beginning."
All stars
Most Relevant
The sample audio clip for this book drew me in, and I had to know the story. One of the most intriguing memoirs I have read… one really cannot imagine the complexity of other people’s lives. I only wish that Audible had the author’s earlier book, After Great Silence, as I would have listened to it first. Having said that, it has a different focus so it didn’t feel like something was missing (relevant bits of the other book, and the writing of it, were interwoven).

Great

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.