Books like A wolf at the table by Augusten Burroughs
In this intimate nonfiction work, Augusten Burroughs, best known for *Running With Scissors*, returns to the most unsettling chapter of his life: his fraught relationship with his father. The book details how the father’s erratic behavior sent his mother into madness and drove a younger son away, leading Burroughs himself into the foster care system. Written after his father’s death in 2005, the memoir blends harrowing truths with moments of dark humor, offering readers insight into the complexities of family ties and the path that forged Burroughs into a New York Times bestselling author.
First publish date: 2008
Genre: Biography & Autobiography/Autobiography
Authors: Augusten Burroughs
★
★
★
★
★
2.7 (3 community ratings)
How are these books recommended?
The books recommended for A wolf at the table by Augusten Burroughs are shaped by reader interaction. Votes on how closely books relate, user ratings, and community comments all help refine these recommendations and highlight books readers genuinely find similar in theme, ideas, and overall reading experience.
Have you read any of these books?
Your votes, ratings, and comments help improve recommendations and make it easier
for other readers to discover books they’ll enjoy.
Books similar to A wolf at the table (27 similar books)
Jeannette Walls' memoir chronicles her turbulent childhood in a dysfunctional, itinerant family, detailing poverty, alcoholism, and homelessness across the United States as she seeks stability and personal growth.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Dave Eggers' 2000 memoir chronicles his struggles and resilience after the cancer-related deaths of his parents, as he assumes responsibility for his younger brother and confronts the challenges of growing up alone.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Patti Smith’s memoir charts her life in New York City, from the bohemian scenes of Max’s Kansas City and the Hotel Chelsea to a creative partnership with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in Brooklyn.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A memoir of a woman who overcomes a strict survivalist Mormon upbringing in rural Idaho to pursue higher education, ultimately earning a PhD in history at Cambridge.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Augusten Burroughs recounts his turbulent adolescence spent in a decaying Victorian home run by a psychiatrist, where ordinary rites of childhood give way to a surreal blend of family eccentricity, escape from school, and the early years of a future author.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
James McBride’s memoir chronicles his upbringing among twelve siblings in Brooklyn’s Red Hook, revealing his mother’s hidden Jewish heritage and their shared journey of race, identity, and faith.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Bill Bryson reflects on his own Midwestern childhood in a humorous, candid memoir that blends personal anecdotes with a portrait of 1950s America.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
David Foster Wallace's life and work in biography, capturing the literary genius and struggle of a misunderstood writer gone too soon, as journalist D. T. Max delves into the tormented life of one of America's most innovative and influential authors.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
After a life‑altering romance, Elizabeth Gilbert confronts her fear of marriage by researching its history and meaning, turning a personal dilemma into a witty, reflective exploration of love and commitment.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Joan Didion chronicles the sudden loss of her husband and daughter, exploring grief, memory, and the complex bonds that bind family and life. An intimate memoir that examines mourning and the ritual of remembrance.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Shalom Auslander’s memoir, *Foreskin's Lament*, chronicles his turbulent youth in an isolated Orthodox community, his rebellion—including a reform‑school exile in Israel—and his ongoing struggle to reconcile faith, law, and personal freedom.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Augusten Burroughs recounts his many New York relationships, exploring love, lust, and the search for meaning in an honest, humorous memoir.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Augusten Burroughs surveys the highs and lows of Christmas through a series of humorously candid stories that blend nostalgia, pain, and wit.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A funny, heartbreaking memoir of Joe Queenan’s escape from a harsh 1960s Philadelphia housing project, driven by a tumultuous Irish‑Catholic family and a relentless pursuit of books, music, and mentors.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A candid account of a young boy's life in 1950s America and his coming of age process in the face of adversity and growth through experiences like paper routes, whiskey, scouting, fistfights, and betrayal.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
After a career as a top New York ad copywriter, Augusten Burroughs must confront his own alcoholism while navigating the challenges of sobriety and a troubled relationship in this candid memoir.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
In this candid memoir, Hilary Mantel reflects on her upbringing, family dynamics and struggles with illness, tracing how early loss and chronic pain shaped her life and literary career.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Norman Ollestad’s nonfiction memoir recounts his father’s relentless push into competitive skiing and surfing, the 1979 aircraft crash that claimed his father’s life, and the boy’s survival and coming‑of‑age in the rugged San Gabriel Mountains.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A memoir by Joyce Johnson that interweaves her own life as a Broadway child, her marriage to two father‑less artists, and her mother's fragile memories of growing up without a father.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Edward P. Jones’s award‑winning collection, *Lost in the City*, follows African‑American residents of Washington, D.C., as they navigate everyday challenges, clinging to hope amid loss.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Edwidge Danticat tells the true story of her family’s migration from Haiti to New York and the perilous journey home in 2004, revealing the intimate struggles of emigration amid Haiti’s political turmoil.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Anatole Broyard, a renowned literary critic, learns the truth about his mixed-race identity after a cancer diagnosis.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
A poignant memoir that traces James Ellroy’s quest to uncover the truth behind his mother Jean’s 1958 murder in Los Angeles, blending personal grief with investigative narrative.
Similar?
✓ Yes
0
✗ No
0
Some Other Similar Books
The Liar's Club by Mary KarrHave a similar book in mind? Let others know!
Please login to submit books!