Empty

A Memoir

By: Susan Burton

Narrated by: Susan Burton

Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

An editor at This American Life reveals the searing story of the secret binge-eating that dominated her adolescence and shapes her still.

“Her tale of compulsion and healing is candid and powerful.” (People)

Named One of the Best Books of the Year by Marie Claire

For almost 30 years, Susan Burton hid her obsession with food and the secret life of compulsive eating and starving that dominated her adolescence. This is the relentlessly honest, fiercely intelligent story of living with both anorexia and binge-eating disorder, moving past her shame, and learning to tell her secret.

When Burton was 13, her stable life in suburban Michigan was turned upside down by her parents’ abrupt divorce, and she moved to Colorado with her mother and sister. She seized on this move west as an adventure and an opportunity to reinvent herself from middle-school nerd to popular teenage girl. But in the fallout from her parents’ breakup, an inherited fixation on thinness went from “peculiarity to pathology.”

Susan entered into a painful cycle of anorexia and binge eating that formed a subterranean layer to her sunny life. She went from success to success - she went to Yale, scored a dream job at a magazine right out of college, and married her college boyfriend. But in college the compulsive eating got worse - she’d binge, swear it would be the last time, and then, hours later, do it again - and after she graduated she descended into anorexia, her attempt to "quit food".

Binge eating is more prevalent than anorexia or bulimia, but there is less research and little storytelling to help us understand it. In tart, soulful prose Susan Burton strikes a blow for the importance of this kind of narrative and tells an exhilarating story of longing, compulsion and hard-earned self-revelation.

©2020 Susan Burton (P)2020 Random House Audio

I Know Her

I wasn't sure what to expect and found her story deeply satisfying. She wasn't alone and yet, she was. She isn't me and yet, she is.

Potently relatable and introspective

It’s wonderful to hear the book from Susan’s own voice. Her honesty with herself and her audience is remarkable.

Big thanks Susan!

This book blew my mind. I felt guilty being so far into Susan's head. Thank you again Susan, it was a great listen.

Superbly written and full of self-reflection

4.5/5: This book really surprised me in a good way. It turned out to be so much more thorough and self-reflective than I expected. Memoirs can tend to be just a telling of a story without much insight. Burton offers a lot of insight and I found that fascinating. She is able to walk you through how a somewhat normal adolescent thought takes on a life of its own and slowly morphs into a fixation and then a compulsion. I felt like I was front row to that progression and while it isn't my experience, I understood it. I also resonated a lot with her disordered relationship with food and came to understand elements in my own life and relationship with food better. I read some criticism that the book felt cold and impersonal. I can see how some might experience it that way, but I think I understood that Burton is in the world of journalism so her style in this book was influenced by that I believe and not a reflection on how she related to her own story. I also felt that the criticisms of not enough focus on the now were unfair - she clearly states she sees a therapist and continues to wrestle with her relationship with food. That is the nature of an addiction - it is an ongoing battle. Overall, I found this book to be superbly written, well thought out, and intensely personal but applicable to so many (myself included).

“I’m glad I have thin grandchildren.”

I’ve been listening to Susan Burton on This American Life for 20 years. She’s always been a standout producer, her writing is top notch, and I find her precise, nuanced style of speech compelling.

I didn’t know she’d written a book until she guest hosted the 2/19/21 episode of This American Life, Secrets — I bought and devoured it immediately.

Empty is a personal history of Burton’s (and also our) complicated and sometimes destructive relationship with food. And it documents the nature and long term consequences of keeping secrets in a way I so relate to. The story has momentum, and is impeccably edited, like her radio pieces.

Empty is an emotional and moving book, yes, but it’s also filled with wry observations and dark humor. I loved it. 10/10.

A Reader's Comments

This is a phenomenal memoir. Susan Burton's story is inspiring for those that have an eating disorder. By the end of the book it had me wanting to learn about eating disorders in men. As someone who struggles with eating healthy, this memoir has inspired me to get the help I need.

Empty

I love this book so much!!! Susan Burton’s voice is wonderful and I cannot begin to explain how much I love her writing. Every time I see an article of her in a paper or magazine I’m on it like a bee to honey. Such a wonderful book!

True, so honest.

For anyone who has struggled with ED, or who knows someone, or who works with ED, this look at the inside- of what is truly happening- is so helpful. Thank you, Susan, for just telling your truth as it is now, for it resonates deeply.

Life Changing

Susan is not only a great writer, she communicates with complete honesty. This book was powerful. I highly recommend it.
I am looking forward to additional books from Susan Burton - an authentic voice during a difficult time. Thank you Susan!

I walked a mile in Susan's shoes

There is a saying and a few songs titled Walk a Mile in My Shoes. I have done this! I spent time listening to Susan's tone. I am glad she read her own book! I considered her situation, tried to understand what happened to make Susan's life like it is. Her issues are not isolated to her world. Many of us have issues that could cripple us emotionally and physically. I know that the longer we hold onto these issues without reaching out for help, they become a part of us that cannot easily be loosed or detached. I am not a psychologist, physician or a counselor. I do have empathy and wish that All who read this book will approach with care and see themselves in some part of Susan's journey!!