No Walls and the Recurring Dream

A Memoir

By: Ani DiFranco

Narrated by: Ani DiFranco

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER

"A memoir as fierce, freewheeling, and passionate as her music." (O, The Oprah Magazine)

A memoir by the celebrated singer-songwriter and social activist Ani DiFranco

In her new memoir, No Walls and the Recurring Dream, Ani DiFranco recounts her early life from a place of hard-won wisdom, combining personal expression, the power of music, feminism, political activism, storytelling, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, and much more into an inspiring whole. In these frank, honest, passionate, and often funny stories is the tale of one woman's eventful and radical journey to the age of 30. Ani's coming of age story is defined by her ethos of fierce independence - from being an emancipated minor sleeping in a Buffalo bus station, to unwaveringly building a career through appearances at small clubs and festivals, to releasing her first album at the age of 18, to consciously rejecting the mainstream recording industry and creating her own label, Righteous Babe Records. In this audiobook, as in life, she never hesitates to question established rules and expectations, maintaining a level of artistic integrity that has inspired and challenged more than a few. Ani continues to be a major touring and recording artist as well as a celebrated activist and feminist, standing as living proof that you can overcome all personal and societal obstacles to be who you are and to follow your dreams.

©2019 Ani DiFranco (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

One of Amazon's Best Books of the Year So Far

“Ani DiFranco has written a memoir as fierce, freewheeling, and passionate as her music. Like Patti Smith’s Just Kids and Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, No Walls and the Recurring Dream charts the evolution of an artist whose voice couldn’t be suppressed by poverty, by misogyny, by record executives - and we hear it, loud and true.” (O, the Oprah Magazine)

"The Grammy-winning [Ani DiFranco] recounts the eventful story of her life as a musician and feminist political activist.... Interspersed throughout with feminist/political musings and anecdotes about such music legends as Pete Seeger, Prince, and Bob Dylan, DiFranco's tale celebrates both independent music and an unconventional life daringly lived. A refreshingly frank and free-spirited memoir from a feminist icon." (Kirkus Reviews)

"[DiFranco] makes her literary debut in this powerful reflection on her life and career.... Throughout, DiFranco writes of her self-doubts and romantic hardships.... Honest and passionate, DiFranco's memoir will resonate with her many fans." (Publishers Weekly)

the folksinger in her own voice

18-23 year old me loved every bit of recollection and lyric recognition. thank you, Ani, for sharing these parts of yourself with us!

I don't know. . .

Ani DeFranco or her music, but I knew her name and saw her at the R&R HOF in 1995, so I picked up her book and I'm glad I did. She's a gift.

LWP

I absolutely loved it. An intimate self portrait that simultaneously captivates, and inspires in a way that only an artist can do and in words only an artist can manifest. as an artist, myself, I feel grateful and honored to have shared in this journey. ❤🤘

Gratitude!

Ani’s music has inspired me since I first walked into Streetlight Records in Santa Cruz to buy Not a Pretty Girl on CD. As a Musician she raised the bar for me & as a performer, much more than impressive, her live shows are personal for each individual in the room, her songs crafted so you can see her in the song or see yourself sometimes.
Everything she’s been able to do with her music she had now done with this book but on a much more personal level and afterwards I feel grateful that she shared so much about herself albeit likely mountains of omissions on the cutting room floor so to speak…
It became clear early in the book & not surprising that my political views are vastly different than hers but she’s such a wonderful person I can easily imagine the awesome conversations we would have if I ever had the opportunity meet her. People say we are more divided than ever, maybe so but I hope others who dive into this book, whether you’re a lefty feminist social justice activist or a constitutional conservative Christian, we don’t all have to agree but we all have the ability to understand. Ani shares some deeply private situations & made some difficult choices, they were her choices and therefore the right choices for her at that time. Before this book I might not have seen these hard choices through the heart of a woman, Now I get it, my heart still believes abortion should be the last option but that choice should always be for women to make, not politicians.
I LOVED every story about touring, traveling, performing, recording…. It made me wonder if Ani’s adventure could happen the same organic way now as it did then, or was she exactly what the world needed at that exact time? I say yes and I’m always looking forward to whatever she’s planning to share with us next. If you’ve never been to see her live in concert, don’t hesitate if she’s playing somewhere within a 8-12 hour drive, she is truly a national treasure and a example of a person doing what she’s meant to be doing, we need to appreciate the artists we have because real artists these days are fewer & fewer.

It's much more than a memoir

intelligent insight on the state of this country pours from this book. A must read for all, you do not need to know who Ani Difranco is to enjoy this book.

It was nice to have it read to me by Ani.

I binge listened for the most part and got through it in about a week. It was the first time I'd gotten a audible book. It was a deep, reflective, intimate and humorous look at a music icon from her own humble perspective. I loved the chapter about Prince but my favorite character/story was The Cat Lady (akaHeidiHo). Rich with relationships and love and appreciated for all the big and small in between. I loved feeling like I got to know who Ani really was, even though in my heart I already feel her and know her through her music.

Thank Goddess for Ani

This book (and Ani's reading of it) serves to confirm that she is perhaps the most relatable and eloquent feminist genius of our time.
I am truly grateful to be inspired by her conviction, her vulnerability, her grace and her poeticism.

Goddess bless!

Ani's Dream

I have read quite a few memoirs and I honestly don't remember having as interesting an experience listening to a person relate the story of her life. I've been a fan of Annie's music for many years and I don't think that it really matter to the experience of listening to this. In the end of the book she honestly admits that this is only a snapshot of herself in her own memory right now and if she started it today it would be a different snapshot. But this was a moving experience and I am grateful to have heard Ani read in her own words that snapshot.

Legit Artist and Heartfelt Autobiography

Thoroughly enjoyed Ani’s origin story. She is an excellent writer and narrator. Does she get a bit preachy here and there? Yes, but she is an artist and activist through and through.

I find it interesting that some of the overly woke reviewers are so wildly leftist that even Ani was not left enough. Ani agreed with a women’s music festival decision to only allow women-born women. Why? Because if you have not had a period every month, felt the patriarchy every day, felt the power discrepancy every day, and yes even know the power of creating babies—you don’t know what it is to be a woman. If there are no real women, can there be real feminism?

My only gripe is that I wanted more and that is a great gripe.

Super excited to Listen to this I’m a huge fan!!

Being released at Pacific time was kind of a bummer, otherwise cannot wait to enjoy this though!!