Giffords to read aloud part of her upcoming audio book

— -- PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords reads aloud the final chapter in the audio edition of the memoir she penned with her husband, allowing people for the first time to hear for themselves how she is recovering.

Since she was shot in the head Jan. 8 at an event outside Tucson, Ariz., the congresswoman has appeared in public only a few times. She has spoken only with friends, family and at small gatherings.

Giffords is living with husband Mark Kelly in Houston, where she continues therapy at TIRR Memorial Hermann hospital, learning anew to walk and talk.

Mark Kimble, a spokesman for Giffords in Tucson, confirmed Wednesday that Giffords had completed the recording of the final chapter.

The couple's memoir, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, has been highly anticipated because Giffords has appeared so little in public and few details have been released about her recovery. The book details the couple's courtship and marriage, Giffords' political career, Kelly's career as an astronaut, and their experiences during and after the shooting, according to Scribner, the publisher.

The book is scheduled for release Nov. 15. Scribner could not be reached for comment about the book Wednesday evening.

The cover of the audio-book version, which is available for pre-order online, displays the same photo of Giffords and Kelly, hugging before their 2007 wedding in Amado, as the hardback. It also bears a secondary title that says, "Read by Mark Kelly with a final chapter read by Gabrielle Giffords."

Giffords and Kelly collaborated on the book with Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffrey Zaslow, who co-wrote "The Last Lecture" with Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch, who died of cancer in 2008.

Elaine Richardson can't wait to hear the audio book. Giffords' longtime friend from Tucson and former state senator says people are eager for news of Giffords' recovery, particularly in Tucson, where residents still are dealing with the aftermath of the tragedy.

"I think any contact with Gabby, even just hearing her voice, would be fabulous," Richardson says. "I know, as her friend, I can't wait to see her again, and I know there are a lot of people who don't know her as well feel just as strongly."

Since the shooting, which killed six and wounded 13, including Giffords, who suffered a severe brain injury, she has participated in intensive therapy. Friends and medical professionals who saw her in subsequent months said she could communicate but struggled to find words for her thoughts.

In speech therapy, brain-injured patients often practice sounding more "normal" by reading aloud, whether it is something they have written themselves or out of books, says Dr. Christina Kwasnica, medical director of neurorehabilitation at Barrow Neurological Institute and St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, where she and her colleagues have followed Giffords' recovery.

She has not worked on Giffords' case but says she would surmise that Giffords has not spoken publicly and avoided media interviews until her fluency improved. Patients often express concern that people might misinterpret less-than-fluent speech as an indication of impaired brain function.

"It is common for brain-injury patients to be very self-conscious of how they appear to other people, especially when it comes to public speaking," Kwasnica says. "There are certain preconceived notions of what your intelligence is based on how you speak."

Kwasnica imagines that in Giffords' high-profile case, the pressure to present herself well in public would be immense, even if people are understanding and supportive.