Sad Sacked

A Memoir

By: Liz Alterman

Narrated by: Liz Alterman

A very funny memoir about a very unfunny situation.

The last person Liz Alterman expects to hear from during her Thanksgiving prep is her husband, Rich. He never calls from his job at a busy Manhattan newsroom. And he never will again, because he's just been laid off. Two months later, Liz is downsized, too.

At first, Rich is enchanted with his new leisurely lifestyle. But when he's still unemployed six months later, his euphoric mood devolves into depression and despair. It falls to Liz to figure out how to support their family of five and keep up appearances in their well-to-do suburb, where even nannies drive the latest model Lexus.

Sad Sacked blends the wit of Nora Ephron’s Heartburn with the madcap hilarity of Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette to expose the pressure on women to put on a happy face even as their world falls apart. In Liz Alterman’s gifted hands, we laugh until we cry about what happens when the bottom drops out.

“I didn't realize how much we needed a new Erma Bombeck to report from the tense bowels of modern suburbia. This book is a sweaty, funny examination into suburban marriage, motherhood, social status and all the other reasons I left New Jersey." (Joel Stein)

©2021 Liz Alterman (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC.

Foul Language?

Give me a break!! I was expecting some really shocking words and not once was Liz out of line with vulgar or even offensive language! Her use of these words were spot on and hilarious! Don’t change a thing! I loved this book!,

Exactly how it is

This is real life. Totally relatable and makes me feel normal about how I’ve felt. Thank you!

Similar situation. Great Read.

it was refreshing to hear that we're not the only people to struggle when laid off especially after the ripe old age of 40+. Her thoughts were my thoughts too! it was real, funny, and honest. I enjoyed it.

A VERY real look at being unemployed w/dependants

Liz managed to document a terrifying situation in an honest and sometimes funny account - being jobless as husband and wife with decent qualifications with three little boys. Her story was highly relatable, and "freezing" (doing nothing) is some people's mode of behaviour and a crisis, and it is not helping, but I can relate.
This book is even better to read while everything is going well in your career, NOT BECOMING COMPLACENT!
I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to anyone that wishes to be financially independent through some form of employment.

very funny very real

the only reason I did not give a 5 star review was there was too much foul language

Love Love Loved

Very relatable memoir. So so many people have found themselves faced with the same situation. Unemployment is cancer to your spirit and soul. Appreciate your candid story!

Let a narrator do their job

I actually liked this story, but not every author should be reading their book into Audible. A real narrator would have been a better choice. I found the story very interesting and wondered how the author could share that much personal information. Highlights the tough call of mid-life career change.

Loved the Brutal Honesty

I am so glad I happened upon this memoir! If you have ever struggled financially as a parent and spouse, felt hopeless and forever changed, then this memoir is a must read. It honestly reveals the thoughts and feelings of the author and left me feeling a kinship with her - someone else has truly lived a dark, desperate chapter like one in my life. I am not alone.

Honest and frank

Well-written story about job losses in a middle-class well-educated family. Touched my heart. I could see myself in the wife.

Just ok

Felt like it was more complaining than funny. You may feel differently so read other reviews.