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The Magnolia Story cover art

The Magnolia Story

Written by: Chip Gaines, Joanna Gaines, Mark Dagostino
Narrated by: Chip Gaines, Joanna Gaines
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Publisher's Summary

Are you ready to see your fixer-upper?

These famous words are now synonymous with the dynamic husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV's Fixer Upper. As this question fills the airwaves with anticipation, their legions of fans continue to multiply and ask a different series of questions, like: Who are these people? What's the secret to their success? And is Chip actually that funny in real life?

By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper; they have become America's new best friends. The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together, from the very first renovation project they ever tackled together to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.

They both attended Baylor University in Waco. However, their paths did not cross until Chip checked his car in to the local Firestone tire shop, where Joanna worked behind the counter. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. Soon they were married and living in their first fixer-upper. Four children and countless renovations later, Joanna garnered the attention of a television producer who noticed her work on a blog one day.

In The Magnolia Story, fans will finally get to join the Gaineses behind the scenes and discover:

  • The time Chip ran to the grocery store and forgot to take their sleeping new baby
  • Joanna's agonizing decision to close her dream business to focus on raising their children
  • When Chip bought a houseboat, sight unseen, and it turned out to be a leaky wreck
  • Joanna's breakthrough moment of discovering the secret to creating a beautiful home
  • Harrowing stories of the financial ups and downs as an entrepreneurial couple
  • Memories from Chip and Jo's wedding
  • The significance of the word magnolia and why it permeates everything they do
  • The way the couple pays the popularity of Fixer Upper forward, sharing the success with others and bolstering the city of Waco along the way

And yet there is still one lingering question for fans of the show: Is Chip really that funny?

"Oh yeah," says Joanna. "He was and still is my first fixer-upper."

©2016 Chip and Joanna Gaines (P)2016 Thomas Nelson Publishers

What listeners say about The Magnolia Story

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love them!

After watching this show for years and following along with Chip and Jo this was a fun listen. Hearing where it all started, and in their own words was such a pleasure.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Dee
  • 2023-11-06

Lived the dream with them

Everyone who lived Fixer Upper would loved this book. Loved that Chip and Joanne read the book themselves.

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  • Overall
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Loved it!

Real people with a great story, feel like I appreciate you both even more now!

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Magnolia Story

Loved this book and love the show. Chip and Joanna are awesome. Hope they do another audio book.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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Lacks story and vulnerability

This book didn't feel authentic. No one's life is this perfect and they seem to just spend 5 hours of the book talking about how great they are. A little vulnerability would have been great, otherwise why bother writing a memoir.

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  • Amy
  • 2022-10-09

Beautiful story!

I loved every minute of this audiobook. The story of Chip and Jo’s life coming together and how they became to HGTV. Fun fact: They don’t even own a TV. Haha. This book is heartwarming and amazing how they overcome the challenges of life. They narrated it together although Jo does most of it. Definitely a book I would listen to again.

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Awesome!

This was just an amazing book, it leaves you wishing for even more! I live in a care home because of where MS has left me. So I often spend my days listening to books, this was a really wonderful one!

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Interesting Story

Only saw their show a few times but they seemed like down to earth people and it turns out it is true. As for the performance, I know it is a book being read but I thought it would have been nice to have it sound more like they were speaking to us.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Take a breath Joanna...

Overall a decent listen, if you can deal with the over eagerness of Joanna Gaines rushing through her stories. Girl, take a breath, slow down. We're all listening because we chose to. Don't rush your glory.

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a really enjoyable book

I love the show and it was enjoyable listening to how their lives evolved into where they are today.

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