Description: In 1940, art-world icon Georgia O'Keeffe bought a house in a mountain-rimmed New Mexico desert, planning to live there for six months every year. To manage her remote household while she paints, O'Keeffe invited Maria Chabot--a young and naïve would-be writer--to join her. Their tempestuous relationship endured throughout the chaotic years of WW2, the death of Georgia's domineering, philandering husband (famed photographer Alfred Stieglitz), and Maria's design and building of a remarkable adobe house and studio for the artist in the native village of Abiquiu--a generous gift from an exceptional friend. An evocative story that explores the dimensions of friendship and the debts we incur to those who make our lives easier, Someone Always Nearby is based on research into a massive collection of over 700 letters, documents, media reports, and historical accounts. Listeners will be fascinated by this intimate, revealing portrait of the artist's daily life during her first decade at her New Mexico ranch--a mysterious, enigmatic O'Keeffe that only one woman ever fully knew. A bonus guide is available as a free, printable pdf at SusanAlbert.com/Someone-Always-Nearby. It includes the story behind the story: research, sources, hyperlinked resources, curated extras, author commentary, questions, and discussion topics.
Brief description: Maria McCann is an audiobook narrator who graduated from the UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television. She has appeared in over forty films and television shows, including Lucifer, Shameless, and Grey's Anatomy, and works as an acting coach. A Los Angeles native who is proud of her Mexican heritage, she is a busy wife and mother who serves on the board of directors for Colorado's Wild Animal Sanctuary.