Finding My Voice

In Finding My Voice, nationally acclaimed public radio host Diane Rehm tells the story of her life up through the 20th year of her broadcast career.

She begins with her upbringing in a traditional Christian Arab household. Her parents were immigrants from the Near East who had a grocery store in Washington, D.C. After a brief early marriage and divorce, she embarked on a second marriage, to John Rehm, and raised two children. Then, in her thirties, as she found life as a housewife and mother pushing her into depression, Rehm began volunteer work at what was then a small public radio station in Washington: WAMU-FM. She found that she loved radio and was good at it. Six years later she had her own show, hosting politicians, writers, musicians, and scientists for incisive, thoughtful discussions.

Finally, Finding My Voice recounts Rehm's battle with a rare neurological disorder, spasmodic dysphonia (SD), a condition that threatened to end her broadcast career. She was off the air for months searching for a diagnosis and treatment.

Today her talk show is entering its third decade. National Public Radio (NPR) distributes the program across the U.S., where it reaches more than 1,000,000 listeners each week.

Kirkus Reviews says:
"A fetching, straightforward account of the struggles and successes of a respected radio personality. ... Told with honesty and simplicity. An articulate and inspirational travelogue of one woman's remarkable journey."

Booklist says:
"...Rehm successfully takes on the challenge of writing. ...Rehm's autobiography is her search to believe that she has a voice to be heard." --Michelle Kaske

Please visit the Random House Website for more information and an excerpt from Chapter One.