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Good Grief  By  cover art

Good Grief

By: Ngozi Anyanwu
Narrated by: Nnamdi Asomugha, Ngozi Anyanwu, Oberon K.A. Adjepong, Lisa Ramirez, Patrice Johnson Chevannes, Hunter Parrish, Ian Quinlan
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Publisher's summary

Nkechi was a good Nigerian American girl. She did everything right. Went to med school. Made plans. Then life happened. And plans changed. A first-generation coming-of-age journey of love, loss, and growing into adulthood, Good Grief follows Nkechi as she navigates Pennsylvania’s suburbs alongside her childhood crush, her would-be-philosopher brother, and her immigrant parents. Hailed as a "profound dramatic work" by LA Weekly, this hilarious and heartbreaking new play reunites playwright Ngozi Anyanwu and director Awoye Timpo.

©2020 Ngozi Anyanwu (P)2020 AO Media LLC

About the Playwright

Ngozi Anyanwu was most recently a staff writer on Americanah for HBOMax and Plan B, and recently developed a pilot with Juvee Productions and ABC Signature. In theater, she has commissions with NYU, The Old Globe, Two Rivers Theatre, and The Atlantic Theatre. Previously, her play Good Grief (Kilroys List 2016, semi finalist Princess Grace, Humanitas Award), in which Anyanwu also starred, recently ran Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre and was produced at Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles in Spring 2017. Nike... (Kilroys List 2017) was recently workshopped at The New Black Fest in conjunction with The Lark and The Strand Festival in conjunction with A.C.T and Space on Ryder Farm. The Homecoming Queen (Kilroys List 2017, Leah Ryan Finalist) recently had its world premiere at the Atlantic Theater which also had a sold out run. Anyanwu has also received residencies from LCT3, Space on Ryder Farm, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, The New Harmony Project, New York Stage and Film and Page 73. She attended Point Park University (BA) and received her MFA in Acting from University of California, San Diego.

About the Director

Off-Broadway: In Old Age (New York Theatre Workshop), Good Grief (Vineyard Theatre), The Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll’d (Playwrights Realm), The Homecoming Queen (Atlantic Theater), Carnaval (National Black Theatre), Ndebele Funeral (59E59, South African tour, Edinburgh Festival), Sister Son/ji (Billie Holiday Theater), In the Continuum (Juilliard). Regional: School Girls (Berkeley Rep), Pipeline (Studio Theatre), Paradise Blue (Long Wharf Theatre), Skeleton Crew (Chester Theater). Producer: CLASSIX, a reading series exploring classic plays by Black playwrights. Other: ABC/Disney, Cherry Lane, Fire This Time, Ma-Yi, New Black Fest, New Dramatists, NOW Africa, PEN World Voices, Royal Shakespeare Company, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, WNYC.

What listeners say about Good Grief

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  • AJ
  • 10-18-20

Thank you, Ngozi

This was sweet. It gave me my first peaceful dream about my brother who passed in March 2020. His name was Jayvon Jenkins and he was wonderful. And flawed. Human. My baby brother. His antics and laughter gave my life color and warmth since I was 2 and a half and now he’s gone. The author’s portrayal of conversations with her departed are like what I’ve had running through my own mind. The description of what the moment before death may be like soothed me and let me shoulders relax for the first time in 7 months. I think Jay would have enjoyed listening to this with me. Thank you Ngozi.

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14 people found this helpful

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fantastic,real,truly perfect !

this was such a great story , i have been listing to so many books over these months - this was so well written & well done ! Bravo

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Beautiful and heartfelt!

I listened to the story on a plane for a work trip. With tears it off nowhere falling into my mask. Loved it!

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  • Overall
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Tanesha, New Orleans

This was extremely moving. Well written and performed. I could see and feel everything. Ain’t life something!

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Deeply moving

This short story, which reads like a play in many ways, is carefully crafted and beautifully written. Authentic dialogue: each character is completely plausible. I smiled at many places throughout the story, as it was simply so REAL, so touchingly REAL.

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Immersive Storytelling!

The love story, relatability, & sound design is engaging! Must listen! Imagination runs wild!! Enjoyed! Must Read!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Different...

I like the style, interesting, enjoyed because make me thinking in a deeper view of my mind, created some interesting Q/A for my self...
Also in the end I was wishing to continue the story a bit longer... but generally enjoyed.

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Wow.

This was extraordinary. Funny, heartbreaking and beautifully “acted.” (“Narrated” seems inadequate.) Time well spent listening to a very well-produced Audible Original.

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Out Of This World Emotional And Amazing

First book work of art by Ngozi Anyanwu will not be my last. This is a work of fiction, but yet so real. Have you ever loved someone then lost them abruptly...never to experience the full story? If so, you will relate. This play, story, book whatever had me in tears and I experienced joy, family and wonder while listening to this. The narrators were wonderful and they actually brought feelings to life and I could visually see each scene. 5 stars for me. ❤❤❤

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thank you!

loved this book! thank you for giving me a better perspective on death and how to continue to live in an attitude of gratitude mindset. you are appreciated

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10 people found this helpful