One and Only cover art

One and Only

The Untold Story of On the Road

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One and Only

By: Gerald Nicosia, Anne Marie Santos
Narrated by: Vanessa Hart, Stephen Bowlby
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About this listen

Lu Anne Henderson was a beautiful 15-year-old girl in Denver in 1945 when she met Neal Cassady, a fast-talking hurricane of male sexuality and vast promises. The two married, and soon they were hanging out with a group of young would-be writers, including Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. But Neal and Jack initially didn’t like each other very much. Lu Anne ended up loving them both, and she taught them how to love each other - in effect, making the Beat Generation possible, as well as giving Kerouac material for one of the seminal novels of the 20th century, On the Road. One and Only traces the immense struggles of Lu Anne’s own life, which ranged from the split-up of her family during the Great Depression, to the ravages of abusive men and the grief of losing the two most important men in her life; and shows how her life intertwined with Jack’s and Neal’s to the very end.

©2011 Original material Gerald Nicosia. Published by arrangement with Viva Editions. (P)2011 HighBridge Company Art & Literature Authors Gender Studies Historical Social Sciences Women

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Critic reviews

“A real find for Beat aficionados, adding verve to a cherished moment in American history and the novel that came to define it.” ( Kirkus Reviews)
All stars
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What did you like most about One and Only?

It is honest, raw yet warm and filled with gentle pathos that is wonderfully portrayed by the readers

What was one of the most memorable moments of One and Only?

The book is made up of cuts of the tapes made by Lou Anne and her daughter which is very moving

Have you listened to any of Vanessa Hart and Stephen Bowlby ’s other performances? How does this one compare?

No I haven't

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The sense of loss and warmth that shows so keenly that the Beat poets /writers could so easily have been any lost confused kids

Any additional comments?

I once preferred the insights written by Carolyn Cassady -which is very good -but this is great,

Not many books make tear up...

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