Toil & Trouble
A Memoir
by Augusten Burroughs
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Pub Date Oct 01 2019 | Archive Date Oct 01 2019
Description
From the number one New York Times bestselling author comes another stunning memoir that is tender, touching...and just a little spooky.
"Here’s a partial list of things I don’t believe in: God. The Devil. Heaven. Hell. Bigfoot. Ancient Aliens. Past lives. Life after death. Vampires. Zombies. Reiki. Homeopathy. Rolfing. Reflexology. Note that 'witches' and 'witchcraft' are absent from this list. The thing is, I wouldn’t believe in them, and I would privately ridicule any idiot who did, except for one thing: I am a witch."
For as long as Augusten Burroughs could remember, he knew things he shouldn't have known. He manifested things that shouldn't have come to pass. And he told exactly no one about this, save one person: his mother. His mother reassured him that it was all perfectly normal, that he was descended from a long line of witches, going back to the days of the early American colonies. And that this family tree was filled with witches. It was a bond that he and his mother shared--until the day she left him in the care of her psychiatrist to be raised in his family (but that's a whole other story). After that, Augusten was on his own. On his own to navigate the world of this tricky power; on his own to either use or misuse this gift.
From the hilarious to the terrifying, Toil & Trouble is a chronicle of one man's journey to understand himself, to reconcile the powers he can wield with things with which he is helpless. There are very few things that are coincidences, as you will learn in Toil & Trouble. Ghosts are real, trees can want to kill you, beavers are the spawn of Satan, houses are alive, and in the end, love is the most powerful magic of all.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781250019950 |
| PRICE | $27.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 336 |
Featured Reviews
Bookseller 193186
This is Augusten Burroughs best work, yet.
His description of what witchcraft is will change everything in the genre of "occult" books.
After having read multiple dozens of books on witchcraft, I have never heard it explained so clearly.
Also, the entertainment value of all his memoirs is inestimable.
If someone I know doesn't enjoy his work, it is the exact type of red flag over our potential friendship that my dog not liking them is.
Alison A, Librarian
I am a long-time fan of Augusten Burroughs and I have read and loved everything he's written but I was not sure about this one because of the witchcraft. I was wrong to be cautious. This is vintage Augusten, comforting and beautiful, like sitting down with an old friend. Unlike much of his previous writing, this is a book about being happy and what it took to get there. It’s life-affirming (still darkly humourous) and enlightening. Keep an open mind and you will love it. Burroughs, now in his fifties, is coming to terms with his difficult past and has made peace with many things, including his troubled relationship with his abusive mother. But fear not: happy Augusten is still every bit as edgy and hilarious as tormented Augusten. This book is both inspiring and laugh-out-loud funny. Highly recommend.
Jo H, Librarian
Just finished- I LOVE THIS MAN’S MIND!!! What an amazing, entertaining read. Such a great storyteller. I think he could write about walking to the mailbox and it would be captivating. I enjoyed hearing about the crazy neighbors, a killer tree, the realtor and fix-it man friends, his constant worries and life with his husband and dogs in a big black house! What made this really cool was that I started following him on Instagram and could see some of the things from the book so that was fun. They deserve all the happiness life can give them! Now I want to read all his other titles since we both have weird pasts and similar humor. Great book!
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