Find the Good

Unexpected Life Lessons From a Small-Town Obituary Writer

By: Heather Lende

Narrated by: Heather Lende

As she was digging deep into the lives of community members, Heather Lende, the obituary writer for her tiny hometown newspaper in Haines, Alaska, began to notice something. Even the crustiest old Alaskan sourpuss who died in a one-room cabin always had Halloween candy for the neighborhood kids, and the eccentric owner of the seafood store who regularly warned her about government conspiracies knew how to be a true friend - his memorial service was packed.

When Lende started intentionally seeking what was positive and true in people and situations in her own life - whether it was finding common ground with her opponents on the school board or accepting that her unmarried daughter's pregnancy might be a blessing - she felt happier, and life seemed more meaningful, too. Awful events - from a recent school shooting across the country to a fisherman drowning in Haines - are always followed by dozens and dozens of good deeds. When tragedy strikes, we can choose to focus on the first responders rushing toward the scene or the guys grilling hot dogs for hurricane refugees, and, like yawning, caring is contagious. There's so much to gain by taking responsibility for your own happiness and nothing to lose. In stormy times like these, we have to make our own good weather, and Find the Good shows us how.

©2015 Heather Lende (P)2015 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Critic reviews

" Find the Good is a gem of a book. It’s honest and funny, reminding us to live in the moment and to pay attention to those around us. A joy to read." (Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness)

A Must Read!

This book makes you stop and think about life in a way that makes you unafraid of death. I truly loved the fun stories of her grandchildren & children mixed in with the backgrounds of the great people she has met along the way. I am SO happy I listened to this!

A surprisingly good listen.

She had a lot of great insights on life from dealing with death and grieving families. It was a pleasure to listen to .

Absolutely loved this! Authentic narration.

Bought it at the Daily Deal price! Loved everything about it. Listened twice, and will revisit again. Lots of attitudes from this title will influence my future life. Brings a light touch to potentially-heavy emotional loads. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Oh that voice!

The narrators voice was excruciating to listen to! I now know why we need professional narrators.

Entertaining Listen

What made the experience of listening to Find the Good the most enjoyable?

I really enjoyed listening to the author's narration. For me, it came straight from her heart!

What did you like best about this story?

The genuineness of the story. It was totally feel good!

Have you listened to any of Heather Lende’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Never have but I will.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Life Lessons From Beyond The Grave

Any additional comments?

Nope

This obit writer writes with her heart

Find the Good, written by Heather Lende. This is the only book I finished this year. I didn't want it to end. Lende, who was the narrator, is an excellent storyteller.

Listening to Lende read her book was like sitting in a cafe with my one of my besties just hanging on each word that fell out of her mouth in each chapter. Since she was an obituary writer in a small town she knew almost every one she wrote about. It was riveting and compelling, especially if the obit she wrote was about a friend.

This book, however, wasn't a tearjerker - OK I did tear up once or twice - the book left me feeling positive and optimistic. The book's title was spot on.

A Joyful and Touching Experience

Warning: You might not want to listen to this on the way to work due to tears of joy and sorrow that seem to sneak up on you. This book is full of life lessons and words of wisdom. Most surprisingly, I found myself quoting it soon after beginning it. The narration is effortless and feels like sharing a cup of coffee with a friend.

It is good!

Find The Good is definitely one to listen to again and again! I love it!

Great Narration

Charming book with a great narration. The writer read it herself, she's not a professional reader, but it wouldn't have been as meaningful if another person read such a personal story.

Short and Sweet

This is a very cute little book. It's short, sweet, and easy to listen to. Would be a nice Mother's Day gift.