The Crane Wife

A Memoir in Essays

By: CJ Hauser

Narrated by: CJ Hauser

A memoir in essays that expands on the viral sensation “The Crane Wife” with a frank and funny look at love, intimacy, and self in the twenty-first century. From friends and lovers to blood family and chosen family, this “elegant masterpiece” (Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Hunger) asks what more expansive definitions of love might offer ​us all.

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: TIME, THE GUARDIAN, GARDEN & GUN

"Hauser builds their life's inventory out of deconstructed personal narratives, resulting in a reading experience that's rich like a complicated dessert—not for wolfing down but for savoring in small bites."—The New York Times

“Clever, heartfelt, and wrenching.”—Time

“Brilliant.”—Oprah Daily

Ten days after calling off their wedding, CJ Hauser went on an expedition to Texas to study the whooping crane. After a week wading through the gulf, they realized they'd almost signed up to live someone else's life.

What if you released yourself from traditional narratives of happiness? What if you looked for ways to leave room for the unexpected? In Hauser’s case, this meant dissecting pop culture touchstone, from The Philadelphia Story to The X Files, to learn how not to lose yourself in a relationship. They attended a robot convention, contemplated grief at John Belushi’s gravesite, and officiated a wedding. Most importantly, they mapped the difference between the stories we’re asked to hold versus those we choose to carry.

Told with the late-night barstool directness of your wisest, most bighearted friend, The Crane Wife is a book for everyone whose path doesn't look the way they thought it would; for everyone learning to find joy in the not-knowing and to build a new sort of life story, a new sort of family, a new sort of home to live in.

©2022 CJ Hauser (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

A Guardian Best Book of the Year • One of TIME Magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books of the Year • One of Garden & Gun’s Best Southern Books of the Year

A Most Anticipated Book: TIME, Good Morning America, LitHub, BookRiot, The Rumpus, Texas Monthly, The Independent, & more

Lambda Literary Award Finalist

"There's more to this memoir in essays than breakups and so much more to the book than the essay that started it all. An intellectually vigorous and emotionally resonant account of how a self gets created over time, The Crane Wife will satisfy and inspire anyone who has ever asked, 'How did I get here, and what happens now?'...Hauser builds their life's inventory out of deconstructed personal narratives, resulting in a reading experience that's rich like a complicated dessert—not for wolfing down but for savoring in small bites."—New York Times, Mary Laura Philpott

“A frank exploration of intimacy and romance that doesn’t always lead to a ‘happily ever after’...Hauser is a playful, energetic and always likable writer...I kept thinking about all of the people in my life into whose hands I can’t wait to put The Crane Wife.”—Washington Post

"Hauser...weav[es] together a memoir about redefining love and living life outside of traditional boundaries."—Time

Loved this book!

So glad I was finally able to listen to this! CJ has a very pleasant voice and I think hearing the author narrate each essay makes the book that much better. The essays are real, raw, and well-written. Really enjoyed this book.

Unexpectedly Relatable

I was given this as a "blind date with a book" and downloaded it to listen at work. I did not expect for the author to touch on thoughts and feelings I had but had not given words to. Hearing her tell her stories felt like sitting with a friend over coffee because how could she know so much about what I needed to hear if we were not friends? Loved it!

Laugh, cry and be human

Very pleasant voice to listen to. Lots of courage to publish this, it’s the kind of journaling you do then hide or throw away because you don’t want anyone else to read. As CJ untangles her life she provides moments of insight we can all relate to.

Did not finish

The stories were not very interesting but the writing is good. I did not finish the entire book.

I love this book even though I’m old

When I started reading I thought I would hate the experience of reading a memoir of a white rich girl. Why did I even purchase this audiobook? And yet…hearing the author read her truth, her struggles, her attempts to create a life of her own, won me over in spite of my prejudices. And I learned to cherish CJ Hauser! Another flawed human being trying her best to make sense of a life that was not what she had anticipated. I loved her truth telling, her acknowledgement of her own mistakes, the seemingly endless struggle to understand her place in the life she was living. Brava, CH Hauser. Much respect. Much admiration. Job well done.

Amazing

First, the performance is awesome. Hauser’s performance is amazing and on par with a pro narrator—but the way she talks about the memories, as a person who lived them, is incredibly impactful. I can hear her remembering the things she is talking about.

Second, what a gut wrenchingly beautiful book. This is a raw and strange (in a good way) exploration of love, and honestly I feel we don’t do it enough. Uncoupling, The Man Behind the Curtain (I think it was called) are some of the essays that stood out to me. Wonderful wonderful wonderful.

Recommended!

This is a smart, engaging book. I wish the author was my friend. She is funny and lovely in witty. She made me want to reread Rebecca. I hope she writes more nonfiction about her life and how it goes in the future. She’s an excellent reader too. I loved hearing the story in her own voice.

Thank you CJ!

I loved everything about this book, including the narration. Her stories are grounded and relatable, but continuously keep me wanting more through their prose and poetry. I got the point where I was annoyed when I had to stop listening and engage with people because this is the book I’ve been searching for.

I listened all the way through her gratitudes. All I can say I guess in summary is that this book felt like relief. I am a woman for me, and I was first a woman with me.

Meh

Generally thought it sounded interesting but the story was not engaging and had trouble keeping with it. The Performance was really what kept me listening as long as I did.

Short stories about past relationships

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book because I just couldn't get into it. It just wasn't relatable to me. The author goes into a lot of short stories about past short-lived relationships, and how she fell for many men for the wrong reasons. This may be very relatable to most people, so give the book a shot. Maybe everything comes together in the end. I wish it would have sustained my attention more.