A Wild and Precious Life: A Memoir

A Wild and Precious Life: A Memoir

by Edie Windsor, Joshua Lyon

Narrated by Donna Postel, Joshua Lyon

Unabridged — 10 hours, 9 minutes

A Wild and Precious Life: A Memoir

A Wild and Precious Life: A Memoir

by Edie Windsor, Joshua Lyon

Narrated by Donna Postel, Joshua Lyon

Unabridged — 10 hours, 9 minutes

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Overview

A lively, intimate memoir from an icon of the gay rights movement, describing gay life in 1950s and 60s New York City and her longtime activism which opened the door for marriage equality.

"Mesmerizing." -Rosie O'Donnell

Edie Windsor became internationally famous when she sued the US government, seeking federal recognition for her marriage to Thea Spyer, her partner of more than four decades. The Supreme Court ruled in Edie's favor, a landmark victory that set the stage for full marriage equality in the US. Beloved by the LGBTQ community, Edie embraced her new role as an icon; she had already been living an extraordinary and groundbreaking life for decades.

In this memoir, which she began before passing away in 2017 and completed by her co-writer, Edie recounts her childhood in Philadelphia, her realization that she was a lesbian, and her active social life in Greenwich Village's electrifying underground gay scene during the 1950s. Edie was also one of a select group of trailblazing women in computing, working her way up the ladder at IBM and achieving their highest technical ranking while developing software. In the early 1960s Edie met Thea, an expat from a Dutch Jewish family that fled the Nazis, and a widely respected clinical psychologist. Their partnership lasted forty-four years, until Thea died in 2009. Edie found love again, marrying Judith Kasen-Windsor in 2016.

A Wild and Precious Life is remarkable portrait of an iconic woman, gay life in New York in the second half of the twentieth century, and the rise of LGBT activism.


Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

There’s so much more to Windsor’s story than her Supreme Court case that struck down the Defense of Marriage Act. And if you learn anything from her memoir, I hope it’s her personal motto: Never postpone joy.”—Book Riot

"Mesmerizing... Read this and get to know the woman who changed history for all of us." —Rosie O’Donnell

“[Edie Windsor] refused to give up on the promise of America. There was not a cynical, defeatist bone in her body.… It’s easy to go weary fighting these fights, but remember Edie Windsor who took on and won against the U.S. Government. She pushed us all to be better, to stand taller, to dream bigger.” —Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in her eulogy

“In a forthright and vivid memoir...Windsor reveals her early realization of her attraction to women and her long struggle to navigate homophobia among family members and at work, to live openly as a lesbian, and to marry the woman she loved.... A candid portrait of an indefatigable woman.” Kirkus Review

“Insightful...a whirlwind tale spanning eight decades studded with glamour, bravado, and desire.... Windsor’s memoir is passionately told and serves as a substantive look at her contribution to same-sex marriage.” Publishers Weekly

“With many sparkling memories paired with materials from personal archival collections, this account enthralls with every turn of the page.... Whether readers are seeking material on U.S. LGBTQ history, particularly regarding the pre–Stonewall era, or an enrapturing memoir, this work will satisfy. Don’t miss out on this essential read. ”—Library Journal (starred review)

“A big-picture look at Windsor’s entire life, including her immigrant experience and childhood in Philadelphia; her enviable 1950s Greenwich Village social life; her relationship with Thea Speyer that began rocky and ended 44-years later when Thea succumbed to MS; her late-life yet intense activism; and her second marriage to Judith Kasen-Windsor. Most enjoyable in this telling is Windsor’s willingness to reflect and adjust.”—Booklist

“Only a couple of times in a generation are we fortunate enough to witness the power of one individual who creates massive change. Edie Windsor was such a person. Her name joins an exclusive list of individuals who stood up for their rights and changed the world. Not only did she insist on freedom in a field of anger, she moved among us with grace, dignity and caring. Edie Windsor is an example of what happens when one turns love into power.” David Mixner, author and activist

"Sit down with Edie Windsor as she shares stories of her life in this thoroughly enjoyable memoir that reveals the civil rights icon as much more than the one-dimensional public version so many of our heroes become. By the time you turn the last page, you'll love Edie for so much more than just taking down DOMA." Jim Obergefell, author of Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality

Kirkus Reviews

2019-07-15
Growing up queer in midcentury America.

In 2010, Windsor (1929-2017) sued the United States for recognition of her marriage to a woman, claiming her legal right of inheritance from her late wife's estate. Her victory in the suit, which catapulted her to fame, marked the transformation of a deeply closeted woman into an outspoken gay rights activist. In a forthright and vivid memoir, written with the assistance of journalist Lyon (Pill Head: The Secret Life of a Painkiller Addict, 2009), Windsor reveals her early realization of her attraction to women and her long struggle to navigate homophobia among family members and at work, to live openly as a lesbian, and to marry the woman she loved. After Windsor died, Lyon took over the unfinished project, resulting in "a memoir/biography hybrid" that complements, and often deepens, Windsor's narrative with information and insights that Lyon uncovered from his continued research. Lyon discovered, for example, that Windsor had a fierce temper, that her skill as a card counter enabled her to win big in casinos, and that she tended to "brush past" painful memories, such as the rift within her family caused by her sexuality. Although Windsor knew she was gay, she married a man who had been a close family friend, thinking she could bury her feelings for women. Soon, however, she rebelled against the charade: "The core of my identity, my natural biological instinct, wasn't going to change." Divorced, she moved to Greenwich Village, where she dove energetically into gay social life and sex. "She went through so many women," a friend told Lyon. At the same time, she embarked on a successful career as a mathematician, writing programs for the UNIVAC computer and eventually developing software at IBM. In the workplace, she deflected matchmakers by pretending to have a boyfriend. In 2007, when she married Dutch-born psychologist Thea Spyer after a relationship of more than 40 years, co-workers asked her why she had lied to them. Windsor's world had changed dramatically.

A candid portrait of an indefatigable woman.

Product Details

BN ID: 2940177154794
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Publication date: 10/08/2019
Edition description: Unabridged
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