Wherever You Go, There They Are: Stories About My Family You Might Relate To

(Paperback)

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A hysterically funny and slyly insightful new collection of essays from New York Times bestselling author Annabelle Gurwitch, about her own family of scam artists and hucksters, as well as the sisterhoods, temporary tribes, communities, and cults who have become surrogates along the way. When Annabelle Gurwitch was a child, surrounded by a cast of epically dysfunctional relatives, she secretly prayed that it was all a terrible mistake. Maybe she was a long-lost daughter of Joni Mitchell or the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian princess. A family of bootleggers, gamblers, and philanderers, the Gurwitches have always been a bit vague on the ideal of a loving and supportive family. Their definition includes people you can count on to borrow money from, hold a grudge against, or blackmail. Thus began a lifetime of Annabelle seeking out surrogates. If she's learned anything, it's that no matter how hard you try to escape a crazy family, you just end up in another crazy family. With a wry wit and healthy dose of irresistible self-deprecation, Gurwitch asks- Who and what makes a family in our modern society Is it our blood relations, the people we work with, the people we pray with, our pets Gurwitch delves into her Shalom Y'all tribe's southern Jewish roots, along with the confederacies she's joined by accident or on purpose, and treats us to a glimpse of life with theater folk, a band of cosplaying Furries, pet people, a UFO cult, and secular humanist fellowships while exploring the fragility of sisterhood and the spec-tacularly daunting search for the community where her aging parents will spend the last chapter of their lives. By turns hilarious and deeply moving, Wherever You Go, There They Are is a must-read for anyone who's even occasionally been frustrated by the people they share carbohydrate-laden meals with every year.

Reviews

A smart, edgy writerAs a memoirist, Gurwitch succeeds by evoking emotions that cut to the core of our humanity, and giving us laughs along the way.
Mort Zachter, Los Angeles Review of Books

A vivacious confessional The memoirs madcap joy is the entire Gurwitch clan of scenery chewersWith her moonshine-smuggling forebears and her brothel matron great-grandmother, Gurwitch joins the shell-shocked ranks of dysfunctional-family chroniclers Augusten Burroughs and Sean Wilsey.
Natalie Beach, O Magazine

Sagacious wit and soulful insights with a dash of Nora Ephron.
Cynthia Romanowski, Coast Magazine

"Once I startedWherever You Go, There They Are, I couldnt put it down. This book is hysterically, laugh-out-loud funnytake it on an airplane and be prepared to enjoy your flight."
Judy Greer, actress and author of I Don't Know What You Know Me From

I love spending time under the spell of Annabelle Gurwitch, who lived all these crackpot adventures so we dont have to. Her unforgettable stories about family and other disasters remind us how insane this world can be, and how necessary our laughter.
Sarah Hepola, author of Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget

I had to invent a word to describe this book.Its Luffaw: a guffaw with a poignant awww as well. You'll relate to Annabelle Gurwitchs stories aboutfinding your people and working with the ones you were given.
Jen Kirkman, author ofI Can Barely Take Care of Myself

Annabelle Gurwitch takes asharp-eyed, un-fool-able, and hilarious look at herfamily's loopy pursuit of the American Dream in Wherever You Go, There They Are.Wherever she goes, you'll want to follow her!
Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed

Annabelle Gurwitch's book isreallyfunny. That is, when you aren't choking up, you'll be laughing. Her parents are lovably infuriating and her travels among atheists, secular humanists, and new-agey summer campers are not only hysterical, but important, and a reminder that family is where you find it.
Julia Sweeney, author of If Its Not One Thing Its Your Mother and God Said Ha!

Annabelle Gurwitch picks up the mantles of Nora Ephron and David Sedaris with unapologetic irreverence and lovably brutal self-deprecation. As she ponders why families are so impossible to escape, youll want to hold your own crazy loved ones closer and perhapslike Annabelleeven consider breastfeeding your cat.
Faith Salie, author of Approval Junkie

InWherever You Go, There They AreAnnabelle Gurwitch takes inspiration from her own life to examine that most horrible of all human conditions: family. She makes a compelling case for community, while arguing for a definition that eschews tribalism. This hilarious and insightful book reminds me why I'm so, so happy that I didn't have children!
Bill Maher

Reading Annabelle Gurwitch feels like staying up all night in a freewheeling conversation with my funniest, wisest, most magnetic friend.Wherever You Go, There They Are is required remedy for everyone desperate for a good, hard laugh at the vexing, heart-swelling madness we call family.
Maria Semple, author of Today Will Be Different and Whered You Go, Bernadette

Annabelle Gurwitch tackles every life passage, epic or trivial, with a courageous wit that makes even the darkest moments more bearable. Wherever You Go, There They Arehilariouslyexplores the frustrations, catastrophes, and unforgettable thrills of navigating life with that gaggle of lunatics known as family.
Heather Havrilesky, author of How to Be a Person in the World and Disaster Preparedness

Annabelle Gurwitch claims to be related to her nutty family, but I suspect shes really the secret love child of Nora Ephron and Groucho Marx. Shes an old-fashioned wit for the post-modern age, a curmudgeon with a deep well of empathy and a genuinely good soul. Im so glad shes back with another book.
Meghan Daum, author of The Unspeakable

Author Bio

Annabelle Gurwitch is an actress and the author of I See You Made an Effort (a New York Times bestseller and Thurber Prize finalist); You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up (coauthored with Jeff Kahn); and Fired! (which was also a Showtime Comedy Special). Gurwitch gained a loyal following during her stint cohosting Dinner and a Movie on TBS and years as a regular commen-tator on NPR. She's written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Hollywood Reporter. Gurwitch was the news anchor on HBO's Not Necessarily the News and hosted WA$TED on Planet Green network. Her acting credits include Seinfeld, Boston Legal, Dexter, and Melvin Goes to Dinner. A veteran of many lauded and even more misguided theatrical productions, she regularly performs at arts centers around the country. Gurwitch is a Jewish mother, a reluctant atheist, and an ardent environmentalist. She is empty nesting in Los Angeles.