Never Better: Stories from Lake Wobegon » (Original radio broadcast; 2.25 hours on)

First with his performances on Minnesota Public Radio's Prairie Home Companion and later in his books, Garrison Keillor has become a symbol of the small-town Midwest -- its absurdities, its stoutness, and its warmth. His popular, funny stories set in Lake Wobegon manage to evoke nostalgia for a town that never existed.

"It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, my home town…." Each week, more than four million radio listeners hear these words, and settle in for some old-fashioned, up-to-the-minute storytelling.

During live broadcasts of A Prairie Home Companion, Garrison Keillor takes us to "the little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve," where "the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." These expertly crafted tales touch the heart and tickle the funnybone. Warm, poignant, often hilarious, each is a classic of live storytelling, full of gentle humor, genuine emotion, and (more often than not) surprising insights into family, community, love, faith, and hope.

Audiofile

Garrison Keillor brings some of his most poignant and hilarious "tales from Lake Wobegon" to this terrific set. . . . Even longtime fans of the Lake Wobegon stories will want this on their audio bookshelves—and it's a great tool to introduce newcomers to Minnesota's best-loved fictional town. - Audiofile