"In this impressive debut, Marshall evokes sympathy, but never pity, as he conveys his family's pain through fart jokes, farcical misadventures (sexual and medical), and - in the middle of all the confusion - emotion so raw and potent it's almost jarring. Honesty is the key; Marshall never shies away from the filthy, uncomfortable reality, and it's that brutal truth-telling that makes his memoir a must-read." - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“Funny, heartbreaking, and unapologetically crude. A poignantly provocative memoir.” —Kirkus Reviews
"A heartwarming, profane memoir about humor and resilience in the face of tragedy." People
"Home is Burning should act as a funny, reassuring tonic to anyone who has had cause to doubt their own caring abilities." - EntertainmentWeekly, B+
"‘Intensely moving and very funny. The strength of this account is in the sardonic observations of family life and the unsentimental glue that binds the unit as the protagonists try to come to terms with a death they all know is imminent. Home is Burning is a deft piece of writing that captures the vicissitudes of family life whether in sickness or in health." - BBC Radio
“It's hard to imagine how a memoir about moving home to take care of your cancer-stricken mom and your dying dad could be fun to read, but Dan Marshall manages to pull it off. Equal parts hilarious and heart-breaking, Home is Burning proves that with family, tragedy always has company.” —James Frey
“A death in the family-the whole miserable and hilarious story, complete with all the gory mechanical details of grief, rage, drug binges, hostility, self-pity and more rage. As one parent battles cancer and another faces ALS, Dan Marshall's loud and chaotic family gets a lot louder and more chaotic, until Home Is Burning turns into a surprisingly funny tale about things that get lost forever as well as other things that stay behind.” —Rob Sheffield, Bestselling author of LOVE IS A MIX TAPE and TALKING TO GIRLS ABOUT DURAN DURAN
“Horrible. Hysterical. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Just like life.” —Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened
“Home is Burning somehow manages to be both a touching memoir about the author confronting his parents' illnesses, and the funniest thing I've ever read - profane, self-aware, and ruthlessly honest. Halfway through, I started calling friends to read them the most priceless lines. Dan Marshall might be a self-described spoiled white jerk, but he's also a depraved comedic genius.” —Justin St. Germain, author of Son of a Gun
While it might not be shocking to learn we’re passionate about books around here, we’re also passionate about authors. The Discover Great New Writers program has spent the last 25 years discovering new writers and making sure the signal-to-noise ratio is adjusted in their favor, and we’re proud to keep doing just that with our latest selections—some […]