The Cringe Chronicles: Mortifying Misadventures with My Dad: A Memoir

by Michael J. Tougias, Kristin Tougias

Told from two different perspectives, "The Cringe Chronicles" is a unique father-daughter memoir following Kristin Tougias on her teenage tribulations and strange family vacations. Kristin's father, author and travel writer Michael J. Tougias, is a bit eccentric and a true nonconformist who inadvertently adds to Kristin's woes. At the end of each chapter chronicling their misadventures, Kristin's father Michael gives his personal and humorous point of view, often quite different than his daughter's.

All teenagers are at times embarrassed by the actions of their parents, but because of Kristin's father's odd lifestyle, she is in a league of her own when it comes to cringe-worthy moments. Join Kristin and Michael on this very unique father-daughter journey!

168 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2014

About the author

True Survival, rescue and history is the topic of most of my books. that runs through most of my books. My latest book is with St. Martins Press and is titled In Deep Water: A True Story of Sharks, Survival and Courage. Other nonfiction sea survival and rescue books include Overboard! A Storm Too Soon, Rescue of the Bounty, Fatal Forecast and Ten Hours Until Dawn.
Disney made a major motion picture of my book The Finest Hours: The Trues Story of the Coast Guard's Greatest Rescue (Disney kept the same title). The movie stars Chris Pine an Casey Affleck and is a fantastic film.
My co-written history books include So Clost To Home (about surviving a Uboat attack in the Gulf of Mexico), Above & Beyond (the untold story of the Cuban Missile Crisis) King Philip's War (Native Americans vs Colonists) Abandon Ship (wwii) and several more
Another adventure for me is publishing a funny family memoir with my daughter, called The Cringe Chronicles (Mortifying Misadventures with my Dad).
My friends were been asking if I'll write a sequel to There's a Porcupine in my Outhouse (2003 Outdoor Book of the Year) and I suprised them with another book of misadventures titled The Power of Positive Fishing: A Story of Friendship and the Quest for Happiness. Also in the same category is The Waters Between Us: A Boy, A Father and Outdoor Misadventures.

Reviews

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely ADORABLE memoir! I may be partial to liking this book because I've met the author's Dad at our local library a couple of times. And, her father is one of my favorite authors. Still, her descriptions of her Dad's quirks and of their travels together, are really quite funny. The book is actually fun to read! The respect and appreciation that she has for her Dad is obvious throughout the book. Yes, she had the typical teenager's angst over an embarrassing parent, but in this case, her embarrassments were JUSTIFIED! Ha!

This book is perfect for parents to read. Within its pages is validation that there's always another parent out there who is kookier than your children seem to believe you are! And, it's also a perfect book for teens and for 20-somethings...In this book, proof can be found that every day is truly a gift; a big sundae made from cookie dough ice cream with chocolate pieces and gummy bears mixed in. And having a parent who loves you is whipped cream PLUS a cherry on top!

I hope Kristin will continue her writing. She's definitely good at it!

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kristin Tougias remembers the summers before and after her freshman year of high school, along with the start of it, and finally a chapter of a holiday with her father seven years later. Naturally, this is set at the age of being truly embarrassed by so many things, and for her a rather eccentric dad who she clearly loves. At the end of each chapter there is a short section by her dad, thus the two authors, but it is primarily written by Kristin.

This isn't brilliant writing, but is a fun read. I have a dad who likes adventures in the wilds, etc, so could relate to some of this father-daughter stuff, albeit at a different time and different places.

[Alison O'Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a parent of girls, I enjoyed both the stories told in this father-daughter book as well as the fact that the author is able to look back and laugh at her younger self. I think this book would be great for a teen book club as it provides the perspective of someone not a lot older but who can see the "awful" moments of teendom for what they are. Fortunately the author had nurturing parents, and her father (who adds comments to the book) helped her through the anguished moments of embarrassment and confusion. Of course the parents created some of the chapters themselves by doing things like packing the author's lunch when it was no longer "cool" to carry lunch to school; wearing outfits that embarrassed the author around her friends; insisting on family vacations when it would be cooler to hang out with friends, etc.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved this.