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Sad Sacked: A Memoir
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.
©2021 Liz Alterman (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC.
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.
©2021 Liz Alterman (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC.
Audible Audio
Published November 11, 2021
7 people are currently reading
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About the author
Liz Alterman
7 books483 followersLiz Alterman lives in New Jersey with her husband, three sons, and two cats.
Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Parents, McSweeney's, and other publications.
She spends most days microwaving the same cup of coffee and looking up synonyms.
For information on events and new releases or to have Liz join your bookclub, visit lizalterman.com.
Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Parents, McSweeney's, and other publications.
She spends most days microwaving the same cup of coffee and looking up synonyms.
For information on events and new releases or to have Liz join your bookclub, visit lizalterman.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 30, 2025
If I could I would give this book a thousand stars--one star for every time I laughed while reading it.
Yes, I know: the author is a friend of mine, but we only became friends AFTER I became a fan of her writing. I read her first domestic suspense (The Perfect Neighborhood) and YA thriller (He'll Be Waiting) and reached out to tell her how brilliant I thought she was. One thing led to another, and--many Instagram DMs later--a friendship was born.
It's weird to read a memoir about unemployment by a fiction writer, but I was prepared to like it because of Liz's writing skills. What I wasn't prepared for was how much I loved it. All of it--from the whining to the job interviews to the clothing issues to the black fleece pullover her husband never took off--I couldn't get enough of Liz's hysterical inner thoughts and observations.
I loved it so much I even wrote an entire blog post about it--okay, so it's actually about other things, too, but it's what inspired me to write an essay: https://lisakusel.wordpress.com/2024/...
LOVED. LOVED. LOVED.
Yes, I know: the author is a friend of mine, but we only became friends AFTER I became a fan of her writing. I read her first domestic suspense (The Perfect Neighborhood) and YA thriller (He'll Be Waiting) and reached out to tell her how brilliant I thought she was. One thing led to another, and--many Instagram DMs later--a friendship was born.
It's weird to read a memoir about unemployment by a fiction writer, but I was prepared to like it because of Liz's writing skills. What I wasn't prepared for was how much I loved it. All of it--from the whining to the job interviews to the clothing issues to the black fleece pullover her husband never took off--I couldn't get enough of Liz's hysterical inner thoughts and observations.
I loved it so much I even wrote an entire blog post about it--okay, so it's actually about other things, too, but it's what inspired me to write an essay: https://lisakusel.wordpress.com/2024/...
LOVED. LOVED. LOVED.
December 1, 2021
This is a story about what happens to a family when the main income earner gets laid off from his job and then his wife does too. The story is told in the POV of Liz who, like a lot of women, carries the mental load of her household.
We basically walk with her over the next 12 months as she stresses about finances, how to motivate her husband to look for a new job and how to keep up appearances in their affluent neighbourhood.
Liz does what most of us do, she gets up each day and keeps moving forward, figuring out how to keep things going for all of them.
I enjoyed this easy to listen audio story.
We basically walk with her over the next 12 months as she stresses about finances, how to motivate her husband to look for a new job and how to keep up appearances in their affluent neighbourhood.
Liz does what most of us do, she gets up each day and keeps moving forward, figuring out how to keep things going for all of them.
I enjoyed this easy to listen audio story.
November 30, 2021
I picked this up as an #AudibleFreebie
I found the author’s tone both entertaining and exasperating. I don’t want to belittle what she & her husband went through, losing a job, both spouses being unemployed and trying to maintain both their current lifestyle and cheery facade is tough. But there were so many instances when I found myself silently judging both husband and wife. It was difficult to sympathize with them at times and truly, they both still gave off a scent of privilege. When Liz Alterman wrote about sacrificing asparagus, because they were too expensive, I sort of lost my respect. This family was never facing homelessness or going without food to put on the table, which unfortunately is a real concern for many.
I’m glad Alterman was able to learn & laugh & ultimately write about her family’s situation.
I found the author’s tone both entertaining and exasperating. I don’t want to belittle what she & her husband went through, losing a job, both spouses being unemployed and trying to maintain both their current lifestyle and cheery facade is tough. But there were so many instances when I found myself silently judging both husband and wife. It was difficult to sympathize with them at times and truly, they both still gave off a scent of privilege. When Liz Alterman wrote about sacrificing asparagus, because they were too expensive, I sort of lost my respect. This family was never facing homelessness or going without food to put on the table, which unfortunately is a real concern for many.
I’m glad Alterman was able to learn & laugh & ultimately write about her family’s situation.
September 24, 2025
Nora Ephron once said “Everything is copy.” And this memoir rang true of that theme in words, tone and wit. I devoured Liz Alterman’a story and my only wish is that she was sitting across from me with a frosty pitcher of margaritas between us while telling it. Her sincere, sobering yet hilarious observations of marriage, modern motherhood, working women, the wage gap, office politics, annoying bosses, family dynamics and societal pressures are spot on. Unemployment is not for the faint of heart. Unemployment with 3 kids, a mortgage and a husband who’s questioning his own career worth … is next level. I legit laughed at loud as she has written some of the thoughts I had dared to dream of my Life. Reading her book was like someone speaking my secret language. The solidarity!!! Thank you, Liz for writing it all down with honesty, authenticity and humor to boot!
While I did receive this book courtesy of BookSirens, I will happily buy a copy or two to give to friends whom I know will love it as much as I did.
While I did receive this book courtesy of BookSirens, I will happily buy a copy or two to give to friends whom I know will love it as much as I did.
November 21, 2021
Sad Sacked is advertised as a funny book about an unfortunate circumstance. This book isn’t particularly funny, and it’s not even particularly honest. Alterman is a good writer which is why i kept listening even though i had a desire to turn it off. The story is self absorbed, and perhaps perpetuated by circumstance—lacks awareness. I hated the continuous comparisons to other people. A memoir about wanting to continue to live life on autopilot even when they’ve received several invitations to live creatively and make up their own rules. They seemingly just wanted things to return to normal in this cruel capitalist world. Truly missed the mark for me and my preferences.
November 18, 2021
This book truly express what the minds go through when you are unemployed.
The only thing that go on my nerves is the main character just kept spending money they had but should have been spend on things they needed. Like the house vs going on vacation in Florida.
You have no JOB - why are you going on vacation, buying expensive dresses, etc when you know there is a BIG possibility no money is coming in that you just spent.
That part got on my nerves.
She kept making reference to her not paying attention more to her early education and maybe she should have did something different and maybe they wouldnt be in this situation. I SAY NO. Your problem is you spending habits and how you deal with Finances. Because no matter what job you get if you dont know how to deal with your finances the right way you are one paycheck away from being homeless.
But over all I really like the book and the narrator.
The only thing that go on my nerves is the main character just kept spending money they had but should have been spend on things they needed. Like the house vs going on vacation in Florida.
You have no JOB - why are you going on vacation, buying expensive dresses, etc when you know there is a BIG possibility no money is coming in that you just spent.
That part got on my nerves.
She kept making reference to her not paying attention more to her early education and maybe she should have did something different and maybe they wouldnt be in this situation. I SAY NO. Your problem is you spending habits and how you deal with Finances. Because no matter what job you get if you dont know how to deal with your finances the right way you are one paycheck away from being homeless.
But over all I really like the book and the narrator.
August 8, 2022
This book just tried a little too hard - there isn't really an interesting story here and the author's humor is contrived - the jokes often rely on ridiculous metaphors. Reading this reminded me of having lunch with a semi-annoying friend who you haven't seen in awhile and is going through something - they are rudderless, a bit unaware of their privilege, and their jokes are a little too rehearsed. The story goes on way too long and you leave feeling glad they got it off their chest, but wishing it had been a little more fun for you.
May 1, 2025
What! A! Gem! I absolutely loved this hilarious and heart warming story! I blew through it and laughed hysterically multiple times.
It's official! I'll read anything and everything Liz Alterman writes!
Thank you Liz for this timely treasure!
It's official! I'll read anything and everything Liz Alterman writes!
Thank you Liz for this timely treasure!
October 19, 2025
The author's writing style was engaging and hunerous, and I could relate to her stress over finances (albeit from a slightly lower socio-economic position). I empathized with her struglles with standing by her husband while he basically shut down. I did disagree with some of their choices (ex. Florida theme park while unemployed). Overall, I found her likeable, and I would read more from this author.
September 22, 2022
The memoir Sad Sacked by Liz Alterman details one woman’s experience with her husband’s job loss and her changing role in her family (a rude shove towards main breadwinner) with a dash of self-reflection.
Lovable qualities: The book is lightly humorous with observations that women who are juggling the primary roles of raising children and creative careers should relate to. The author captures well the now all-too-common middle-class experience of the primary earner being unexpectedly sacked from his job and how this impacts the entire family.
Not as lovable qualities: This Audible original was read by the author. It was intended to be funny. Unfortunately, some of the timing of the jokes didn’t quite work. For me I think reading a physical book probably would have been funnier (my inner voice has exceptional comedic timing). I doubt with a company as big as Audible that the author had much say in this. In general, I’d say actors and performers are probably better with reading than most writers.
My assessment: This writer is who she is. She’s a solid middle class person who expected her life to remain (like most of us) as it was. Instead life (like always) shattered that assumption with a heavy duty monkey wrench. Like some other readers, I got frustrated with how the author continued spending money and doing things that seemed counterintuitive to their situation. But she’s writing about herself with candor. She’s the one telling you how she was doing these things in a desperate attempt to keep things the same as they were. Some people might have trouble connecting this experience but as someone whose highly educated husband spent more than a year being turned down for jobs he was overqualified for I related.
The author’s growing frustration with her husband was something I totally understood. While my husband was unemployed, I found myself at once sympathizing with his evermore fragile confidence while also wanting to slap and scream, “Snap out of it!” Compared to many we were still privileged but our struggles were genuine.
Cuppa rating? A decent cuppa, no frills.
Lovable qualities: The book is lightly humorous with observations that women who are juggling the primary roles of raising children and creative careers should relate to. The author captures well the now all-too-common middle-class experience of the primary earner being unexpectedly sacked from his job and how this impacts the entire family.
Not as lovable qualities: This Audible original was read by the author. It was intended to be funny. Unfortunately, some of the timing of the jokes didn’t quite work. For me I think reading a physical book probably would have been funnier (my inner voice has exceptional comedic timing). I doubt with a company as big as Audible that the author had much say in this. In general, I’d say actors and performers are probably better with reading than most writers.
My assessment: This writer is who she is. She’s a solid middle class person who expected her life to remain (like most of us) as it was. Instead life (like always) shattered that assumption with a heavy duty monkey wrench. Like some other readers, I got frustrated with how the author continued spending money and doing things that seemed counterintuitive to their situation. But she’s writing about herself with candor. She’s the one telling you how she was doing these things in a desperate attempt to keep things the same as they were. Some people might have trouble connecting this experience but as someone whose highly educated husband spent more than a year being turned down for jobs he was overqualified for I related.
The author’s growing frustration with her husband was something I totally understood. While my husband was unemployed, I found myself at once sympathizing with his evermore fragile confidence while also wanting to slap and scream, “Snap out of it!” Compared to many we were still privileged but our struggles were genuine.
Cuppa rating? A decent cuppa, no frills.
December 12, 2021
Cleverly, expertly, written. This is the first book I've read in a few months, so I give the author credit for engaging me through some pretty rough subject matter: being unemployed (not by choice) and middle-aged, living in New Jersey. Raising a family is tough enough, and there's a moral issue (not explored here) about the willfulness of some employers. Also middle-aged and living in New Jersey, I've been lucky in my own career, but this book brought to mind the harsh realities that so many friends have faced, especially journalists.
Still, this is ultimately a life-affirming memoir, and the author is seemingly effortless at weaving in humor. I say seemingly, because anything this well-written is surely not effortless.
I can't give it 5 stars though. This is a memoir, after all, and some things written about the husband made me cringe. Maybe one night in Jersey her easily-identified husband and I will run into each other, underneath that one stranded star. I'd like to buy him a beer.
Still, this is ultimately a life-affirming memoir, and the author is seemingly effortless at weaving in humor. I say seemingly, because anything this well-written is surely not effortless.
I can't give it 5 stars though. This is a memoir, after all, and some things written about the husband made me cringe. Maybe one night in Jersey her easily-identified husband and I will run into each other, underneath that one stranded star. I'd like to buy him a beer.
October 15, 2022
I enjoy listening to audiobooks where the author is also the narrator, and I especially loved Sad Sacked. It's a memoir by Liz Alterman, describing the crisis she and her family faced when she and her husband both got laid off within months of each other. Having faced ups and downs myself in the TV writing biz, I related to the emotional turmoil both characters felt. I was rooting so hard for their marriage to survive the stress that the book became a page-turner. (Actually, since it was an audiobook, I guess "page-turner" isn't the right word.) On a side note, Liz Alterman is really great at writing metaphors; listening to them was a joy, and they added a lot of humor to the book. I see that she's written a couple of thrillers, and I'll look forward to reading those as well!
August 4, 2022
The book was a well written recap of the challenges the author and her husband faces as both found themselves unemployed while raising three sons and maintaining a home/mortgage. I gave it only two stars because she summed it up in a single sentence near the end of the book by saying being a young widow might be more appealing then continuing on in her marriage. I realize this was said with humor, but I am a young widow and hearing her complain the majority of the book about her husband…alive and well, was challenging.
December 3, 2021
This is a very honest memoir that will also have you laughing out loud! As someone who is currently job searching, it was really nice to feel like I am not alone in my frustrations with the process. I also liked how the author weaved in stories about her family....I could relate to so many of them. I found myself saying, "Wait...that's not just MY Dad (Mom, husband, sibling, son...) that says (or does) that?!" I really enjoyed it and looking forward to more books published by the author!
November 21, 2021
I decided to check out this author's memoir because I loved the thriller she published earlier this year. Happy to say, this did not disappoint. I admire how Alterman kept her sense of humor during some pretty dark moments. If you've experienced unemployment, you know it's not easy-especially with no end in sight. I'll be recommending this one!
January 1, 2022
I found Sad Sacked by Liz Alterman in the freebies section of Audible and didn't realize until I was finished that it was a true story. The author is an engaging writer that kept me hooked from beginning to end. The story was sad at times, but I found a lot of it to be funny. She has a way with words that brings out the humor in some pretty rotten situations.
November 17, 2021
A quick listen and funny in a sad sort of way. I could envision this woman and her family as they waded through unemployment. What a scary time but one in which seemed to sharpen the author’s humor. I always like it when the author performs the audio. Recommend.
January 31, 2022
I really enjoyed the narration by the author!
This book is so funny. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of her Parents and their penny pinching. Loved her Dad the Marine.
This book is well written. Very funny. Loved the family. Liked her honest feelings about her husband.
This book is so funny. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of her Parents and their penny pinching. Loved her Dad the Marine.
This book is well written. Very funny. Loved the family. Liked her honest feelings about her husband.
November 21, 2021
As someone who's been out of work twice, this book is similar to my struggles. Very emotional and well-written.
April 27, 2022
Really loved this one. Even though it's not too long I still have that feeling of, we've been hanging out for so long I hate to "put the book down."
June 27, 2024
There was this article that I remember reading the other day where the general theme of it amounted to, "If we are given a choice between a painful path and a less hurtful path, why do we often choose the painful one?" Yeah, we do do that, don't we? And it came to mind multiple times throughout this memoir.
Sad Sacked started out charming. It's a rich opening and gets to the point about how her family dynamics were like. Lots of love for that moment of dread, the imagery really selling what she felt. Episodes of comfort that can sorta detach me now and then. But there's quips about dread and rage were completely relatable. Snappy writing that is easy to read and follow. I was thinking I'd be entertained the entire book.
Mostly I ended up feeling like a therapist. Thoughts that came to me as I read: "You know, it's okay to ask for help and accept it with grace. You can admit to your loved ones that everything is not okay. You don't have to fake it with them. Everything doesn't have to be perfect all the time. You can be wrong, too, and the world won't end."
Actually her experiences reminded me of how depressing living in North America can be as an adult. It's not a focus of what you know, are grateful for, and have experienced to live a fruitful life like it can be in other countries. Expectations default to "What do you do?" as though your job alone identifies your entire worth and existence. Along with the other materialistic and consumerism fantasies that come with that, and the social conditioning and job security alone are "conventional wisdom" (it's really not). It's understandable with the young boys. I wondered why it mattered so much with the parents though.
Yes, you have to pay the bills and make sure that health coverage for three boys is guaranteed in this country's broken health care system. Those are obligations. Beyond that? It felt hollow to protect that sort of pride given the circumstances. Gratitude and self-reflection do show up, and I appreciate that Alterman is aware of them, yet it's a lot of compartmentalizing and denial to get there. Even then, I'm not sure if anyone is really happy.
Sad Sacked is a realistic depiction of a woman exploring obligations and desires told in a smarmy voice. I'm grateful that she approached her many fears about unemployment with honesty and vulnerability. The ending left me feeling like it was rushed. But I understand that the main purpose for the book had been done at that point. Sorta wanted a bit more from it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Sad Sacked started out charming. It's a rich opening and gets to the point about how her family dynamics were like. Lots of love for that moment of dread, the imagery really selling what she felt. Episodes of comfort that can sorta detach me now and then. But there's quips about dread and rage were completely relatable. Snappy writing that is easy to read and follow. I was thinking I'd be entertained the entire book.
Mostly I ended up feeling like a therapist. Thoughts that came to me as I read: "You know, it's okay to ask for help and accept it with grace. You can admit to your loved ones that everything is not okay. You don't have to fake it with them. Everything doesn't have to be perfect all the time. You can be wrong, too, and the world won't end."
Actually her experiences reminded me of how depressing living in North America can be as an adult. It's not a focus of what you know, are grateful for, and have experienced to live a fruitful life like it can be in other countries. Expectations default to "What do you do?" as though your job alone identifies your entire worth and existence. Along with the other materialistic and consumerism fantasies that come with that, and the social conditioning and job security alone are "conventional wisdom" (it's really not). It's understandable with the young boys. I wondered why it mattered so much with the parents though.
Yes, you have to pay the bills and make sure that health coverage for three boys is guaranteed in this country's broken health care system. Those are obligations. Beyond that? It felt hollow to protect that sort of pride given the circumstances. Gratitude and self-reflection do show up, and I appreciate that Alterman is aware of them, yet it's a lot of compartmentalizing and denial to get there. Even then, I'm not sure if anyone is really happy.
Sad Sacked is a realistic depiction of a woman exploring obligations and desires told in a smarmy voice. I'm grateful that she approached her many fears about unemployment with honesty and vulnerability. The ending left me feeling like it was rushed. But I understand that the main purpose for the book had been done at that point. Sorta wanted a bit more from it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 27, 2024
Disclosure: I was given an advance reader copy of this book to leave an honest review.
Sad Sacked is a humorous and vividly-written exploration of a U.S. middle-class suburban family's brush with financial insecurity. I sympathized deeply with the author's growing anxiety and frustration as the shadow of her husband's unemployment grew longer and financial apocalypse loomed, all the while squeezed by the pressure to keep up with the Jones in her affluent New Jersey neighborhood. It's both an intimate portrayal of one family's struggle and a dark look into the evaporation of employment and financial security even for the more affluent classes of U.S. society and elsewhere.
That said, I found the narrative and the author's thinking ultimately limited by an inability to think outside the status quo. I found myself annoyed by the author's and her husband's seeming unwillingness to communicate about what seemed like conflicting goals and wants. The possibility of moving to a less expensive neighborhood is brought up but never seriously planned for in the narrative of the book, even though the husband drags his feet on looking for a new job for half a year. It's mentioned from the start that he's unhappy and disenchanted with his job, yet this appears to be dismissed as unimportant in the all-important quest to keep the family in their current lifestyle and neighborhood.
Spoiler alert, the husband does get a new and higher-paying job at the last minute as his severance runs out and they get to keep the house and go on as before. This felt hollow to me, though, because the only thing the couple seems to have learned from this time in their life is that they need to be grateful, not take anything for granted and work hard. Evidently it doesn't matter that the husband was miserable working in this field, he should be grateful to have a job at all and he's learned his lesson! Don't even think about the possibility of a new career/lifestyle or wanting to step off the light-speed social prestige treadmill, just keep your head down, say yes sir and yes ma'am, and keep working!
The final chapter/epilogue where the author states these lessons felt creepily docile and saccharine, so unlike the verve and humor that had attracted me to the book at first. Maybe that's appropriate for an ending that may read on the surface as happy but is actually one of accepting the status quo and learning to comply with it. The lack of imagination, this beaten-down acquiescence to social pressure, may be the most sadsack thing about Sad Sacked.
Sad Sacked is a humorous and vividly-written exploration of a U.S. middle-class suburban family's brush with financial insecurity. I sympathized deeply with the author's growing anxiety and frustration as the shadow of her husband's unemployment grew longer and financial apocalypse loomed, all the while squeezed by the pressure to keep up with the Jones in her affluent New Jersey neighborhood. It's both an intimate portrayal of one family's struggle and a dark look into the evaporation of employment and financial security even for the more affluent classes of U.S. society and elsewhere.
That said, I found the narrative and the author's thinking ultimately limited by an inability to think outside the status quo. I found myself annoyed by the author's and her husband's seeming unwillingness to communicate about what seemed like conflicting goals and wants. The possibility of moving to a less expensive neighborhood is brought up but never seriously planned for in the narrative of the book, even though the husband drags his feet on looking for a new job for half a year. It's mentioned from the start that he's unhappy and disenchanted with his job, yet this appears to be dismissed as unimportant in the all-important quest to keep the family in their current lifestyle and neighborhood.
Spoiler alert, the husband does get a new and higher-paying job at the last minute as his severance runs out and they get to keep the house and go on as before. This felt hollow to me, though, because the only thing the couple seems to have learned from this time in their life is that they need to be grateful, not take anything for granted and work hard. Evidently it doesn't matter that the husband was miserable working in this field, he should be grateful to have a job at all and he's learned his lesson! Don't even think about the possibility of a new career/lifestyle or wanting to step off the light-speed social prestige treadmill, just keep your head down, say yes sir and yes ma'am, and keep working!
The final chapter/epilogue where the author states these lessons felt creepily docile and saccharine, so unlike the verve and humor that had attracted me to the book at first. Maybe that's appropriate for an ending that may read on the surface as happy but is actually one of accepting the status quo and learning to comply with it. The lack of imagination, this beaten-down acquiescence to social pressure, may be the most sadsack thing about Sad Sacked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2025
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Sad Sacked
Author: Liz Alterman
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 19/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 5/5
Of the 15 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘subject knowledge’.
Of all the readers, 8 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘clarity of message’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“LOVED this book. Saying that, it’s a very stressful life the author has! 😊 Funny in parts; a bit of an eye-opener too – very different to life in rural England where I live.” Female reader, aged 55
“Loosing your job is always so difficult. This book offers an hilarious insight into how this lady handled it – and a depressed husband. It’s all a bit of a rollercoaster with never a dull moment.” Female reader, aged 43
“It was interesting how the author took control – or attempted to – and how life did improve/progress in the end. The humor in this story is why it’s so good; it’s never all doom and gloom. Insightful too. I’d recommend it to anybody facing a sudden (negative) change in life. It’ll cheer them up.” Female reader, aged 59
“I remember when I was very low and a woman told me – ‘When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.’ This book and how the author faced up to problems is a good example of this saying. Comical in parts, highly accessible, with solid pacing.” Male reader, aged 54
“Feeling down? Lost your job? Check out this highly engrossing book by talented author, Liz Alterman.” Female reader, aged 21
“The cover is utterly amazing – as is the book.” Female reader, aged 68
To Sum It Up:
‘A wonderfully compelling, highly amusing look at family life, job loss and finding a way through. A GOLD MEDAL WINNER and highly recommended!”’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Sad Sacked
Author: Liz Alterman
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 19/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 5/5
Of the 15 readers:
15 would read another book by this author.
15 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
15 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 3 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘subject knowledge’.
Of all the readers, 8 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘clarity of message’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“LOVED this book. Saying that, it’s a very stressful life the author has! 😊 Funny in parts; a bit of an eye-opener too – very different to life in rural England where I live.” Female reader, aged 55
“Loosing your job is always so difficult. This book offers an hilarious insight into how this lady handled it – and a depressed husband. It’s all a bit of a rollercoaster with never a dull moment.” Female reader, aged 43
“It was interesting how the author took control – or attempted to – and how life did improve/progress in the end. The humor in this story is why it’s so good; it’s never all doom and gloom. Insightful too. I’d recommend it to anybody facing a sudden (negative) change in life. It’ll cheer them up.” Female reader, aged 59
“I remember when I was very low and a woman told me – ‘When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.’ This book and how the author faced up to problems is a good example of this saying. Comical in parts, highly accessible, with solid pacing.” Male reader, aged 54
“Feeling down? Lost your job? Check out this highly engrossing book by talented author, Liz Alterman.” Female reader, aged 21
“The cover is utterly amazing – as is the book.” Female reader, aged 68
To Sum It Up:
‘A wonderfully compelling, highly amusing look at family life, job loss and finding a way through. A GOLD MEDAL WINNER and highly recommended!”’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
September 28, 2024
This book has many laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed it.
But I kept wondering how it would read, if the genders were switched. :)
No one questions when a wife quits the 9-to-5 to take up homemaking or a home-based business. But when a husband feels unfulfilled at work and stays home and does laundry, well ...
It's a sacrifice when one spouse gets laid off from the workaday world and uses the time off to reconsider their career choices. For both parties.
The book has a dark sit-com-like tone and sit-coms tend to rely on stereotypes as characters. So, it's hard to criticize what most people take as expected of two people in a marriage. And yet ... I kept re-reading parts to myself as if the genders were switched and thought, "Would a man write this book? Would he bemoan his wife's leaving a job to devote her time to cooking, cleaning, laundry, and kids? Would he feel resentful of her lack of drive and ambition?" Um ... lol
In a sense, the author shouldn't be blamed for her feelings. She didn't expect her husband to stay home and clean house, while she brought home what little bacon she could scrape up.
Her situation is highly relatable, especially given the difficulty of finding work that pays the bills and advances your career after a long period of unemployment. But it does assume quite a bit about proper gender roles.
But I kept wondering how it would read, if the genders were switched. :)
No one questions when a wife quits the 9-to-5 to take up homemaking or a home-based business. But when a husband feels unfulfilled at work and stays home and does laundry, well ...
It's a sacrifice when one spouse gets laid off from the workaday world and uses the time off to reconsider their career choices. For both parties.
The book has a dark sit-com-like tone and sit-coms tend to rely on stereotypes as characters. So, it's hard to criticize what most people take as expected of two people in a marriage. And yet ... I kept re-reading parts to myself as if the genders were switched and thought, "Would a man write this book? Would he bemoan his wife's leaving a job to devote her time to cooking, cleaning, laundry, and kids? Would he feel resentful of her lack of drive and ambition?" Um ... lol
In a sense, the author shouldn't be blamed for her feelings. She didn't expect her husband to stay home and clean house, while she brought home what little bacon she could scrape up.
Her situation is highly relatable, especially given the difficulty of finding work that pays the bills and advances your career after a long period of unemployment. But it does assume quite a bit about proper gender roles.
July 29, 2024
A story about a suburban, middle class husband losing his job and his similarly defined wife picking up the pieces, could be ho-hum but I found Liz Alterman’s book, Sad Sacked, to be anything but. I read a lot of memoirs about regular (mostly female) people doing regular things (raising chickens, traveling, hiking) in mostly American (but sometimes foreign) environments and coming out (at least slightly) better off than when the book began. For me, it’s the telling of the story that holds my attention more than the details of the drama itself. Liz’s tight writing and humorous metaphors made me feel the tension she and her family experienced during their 15 month unemployment hiatus. Before one job interview, she was “as nervous as a second grader at a spelling bee”… Before another, she’d “pushed her deodorant past its limits.” This is the kind of woman I’d like to share a cup of coffee with.
It took me a bit to connect with Liz’s tone and cadence on the audio book, but once I did, I appreciated her very undramatic way of describing the problems, and then progress, of her family’s employment journey. Sad Sacked reads like a fast paced novel - one that I walked an extra mile for one day, just to hear what happens in the end.
It took me a bit to connect with Liz’s tone and cadence on the audio book, but once I did, I appreciated her very undramatic way of describing the problems, and then progress, of her family’s employment journey. Sad Sacked reads like a fast paced novel - one that I walked an extra mile for one day, just to hear what happens in the end.
May 21, 2024
All through reading Liz Alterman's memoir, I kept wanting to ask her Mr. Rogers' signature question: Please won't you be my neighbor?" I could see us sitting down over coffee, sharing how we're dealing (or not dealing) with the curve balls life throws at us. I could see myself laughing out loud over her sincere and snarky witticisms, because that's what I was doing while reading her book. Life, indeed, threw the author some curve balls--she and her husband both lost their jobs during a two month period. There was a hefty mortgage, car payments, and, oh, yeah, three kids who needed to be fed, while her husband treated his layoff like an extended vacation. This is funny writing about an unfunny--in fact, awful--situation. The author's sense of humor makes this book and, I suspect, got her family through a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 29, 2025
Alterman's memoir is equal parts laugh-out-loud funny and terrifying as she recounts how her husband's sudden job loss and then hers disrupted their family. Think "Survivor" meets "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" - if someone like the late Erma Bombeck wrote it. (The Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop recognized Alterman as its Humor Writer of the Month in 2021.) She humorously relates some of the challenges their family faced (such as what happens when five people are thrust together 24/7 in a too-small house that is falling apart around them), while unsparingly sharing her gut-wrenching fears that her marriage would not survive the financial and personal hardships of dual unemployment. Alterman writes with honesty and humor, making Sad Sacked a surprisingly amusing read about a difficult subject.
April 29, 2024
I love the authors humour. I can't even imagine what she went through. To have a spouse out of work is one thing, but to be out of work as well is a totally different ball game. I honestly don't know how the author held it all together.
The book keeps you on your toes as you have no idea what's coming up next.
*I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The book keeps you on your toes as you have no idea what's coming up next.
*I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 5, 2024
I really enjoyed reading SAD SACKED! As someone who has been through two layoffs myself and one for my husband followed by contractor positions, this was extremely relatable. I laughed, cried and found myself nodding my head knowing full well what Liz and Rich were experiencing. I appreciate Liz's honesty throughout and highly recommend this for anyone who has been through a layoff or knows someone who has… because those people need to understand what it's like in the moment!
June 23, 2025
What a great read in so many ways. A funny spin on a time that was anything but. Made me laugh out loud and the ending wrapped it up with a bow. Great beach read and book club worthy. Highly recommend!!!
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