The Witches Are Coming

By: Lindy West

Narrated by: Lindy West

Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

In this wickedly funny cultural critique, the author of the critically acclaimed memoir and Hulu series Shrill exposes misogyny in the #MeToo era.

This is a witch hunt. We're witches, and we're hunting you.

From the moment powerful men started falling to the #MeToo movement, the lamentations began: this is feminism gone too far, this is injustice, this is a witch hunt. In The Witches Are Coming, firebrand author of the New York Times bestselling memoir and now critically acclaimed Hulu TV series Shrill, Lindy West, turns that refrain on its head. You think this is a witch hunt? Fine. You've got one.

In a laugh-out-loud, incisive cultural critique, West extolls the world-changing magic of truth, urging listeners to reckon with dark lies in the heart of the American mythos, and unpacking the complicated, and sometimes tragic, politics of not being a white man in the twenty-first century. She tracks the misogyny and propaganda hidden (or not so hidden) in the media she and her peers devoured growing up, a buffet of distortions, delusions, prejudice, and outright bullsh*t that has allowed white male mediocrity to maintain a death grip on American culture and politics—and that delivered us to this precarious, disorienting moment in history.

West writes, "We were just a hair's breadth from electing America's first female president to succeed America's first black president. We weren't done, but we were doing it. And then, true to form—like the Balrog's whip catching Gandalf by his little gray bootie, like the husband in a Lifetime movie hissing, 'If I can't have you, no one can'—white American voters shoved an incompetent, racist con man into the White House."

We cannot understand how we got here—how the land of the free became Trump's America—without examining the chasm between who we are and who we think we are, without fact-checking the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and each other. The truth can transform us; there is witchcraft in it. Lindy West turns on the light.

©2019 Lindy West (P)2019 Hachette Books

Critic reviews

Amazon, "Best Books of the Month in Nonfiction"

E! News, "The Best New Books of November 2019!"

Esquire, "Best Nonfiction Books of 2019"

Library Journal, "Editors' Fall Picks for 2019"

Bustle, "10 New #MeToo Movement Books To Read in Fall 2019"

TIME, "Most anticipated books for Fall 2019"

USA TODAY, "Best Books Coming Out in Fall 2019"

Houston Chronicle, "Books... we can't wait to read this fall 2019"

Bustle, "15 New Books Under 300 Pages That Will Help You Smash Your Reading Goal Before the End of the Year!"

Book Riot, "50 Of The Best Books to Read This Fall"

Bustle, "The 20 Best New Books of Fall 2019 According to Authors"

St. Louis Dispatch, "20+ eye-opening books you'll want to read this fall"

Book Riot, "5 Boss Lady Books of Nonfiction"

Den of Geek, "Autumnal Book Guide: 15 Best Fall 2019 Reads"

Esquire, "Most Anticipated Books of 2019"

Book Riot, "Ready, Set, Hold: November 2019"

Entertainment Weekly, "20 New Books to Read in November"

TIME, "11 New Books You Should Read in November!"

Yahoo!, "Best November book releases to add to your Christmas wish list"

A.V. Club, "5 Books to Read in November."

Refinery29, "Best Books of November 2019"

Chicago-Sun Times, "Buzzworthy New Books"

USA TODAY, "5 Books Not to Miss!"

PASTE, "25 Best Memoirs of the 2010s"

MOMTASTIC, "Best Books to Pick Up This Holiday Season"

Mashable, "Best Books by Women in 2019"

BUST Magazine, "6 New Books Perfect for the Coldest Winter Months"

"Shrill author Lindy West's latest essay collection is a thoughtful and funny examination of rape culture in media. Some of the topics she tackles: Adam Sandler, Donald Trump, South Park, 'reverse sexism,' and classic movies like Sixteen Candles that make rape look like 'silly fun.'—Bustle

"Equal parts hilarious and sobering, West's words will help fellow witches articulate why they are so fired up (YES!)."—Booklist

"In this time of great frustration, this collection is a clearing in the woods to meet, to reflect, to dance, and to cackle around the fire."—Abbi Jacobson, creator of Broad City and New York Times bestselling author of I Might Regret This

Starts strong then wanders

Started strong then wandered into self depreciation and name calling, kinda just got poisonous. I wasn't able to finish the book.

Not about witches

I live in DC and work in advocacy, so sometimes I just want to turn my brain off after work. I saw this had great reviews and bought it without reading any actual review or book summary. Fun fact, this book is not a fun light read about witches, as I had originally assumed. A chapter in, I thought I would have given it up to turn my brain off for something lighter, but her hilarious, serious, important, and new takes on the crumbling state of our world kept me through to the end, with actual laughs and actual tears along the way. What I discovered is that I’m a witch, and hell yes, I’m coming for you.

waste of money

nothing but a trump bashing book. waste of $3. didnt even want to finish past the first chapter

It's supposed to be humorous....

Firstly, this is not a book I would have normally purchased, so my review will be biased in the negative a bit by that. However, it was the monthly choice of a book club I was thinking of joining (and I LOVE a good book club) and the audible version was 6.5 hours, read by the author, so why not. I hadn't even bothered to look at the description (assigned reading so to speak) so was a little surprised to discover it was a series of essays -- I'm NOT an essay reader normally. It was written by the same author as "Shrill" an autobiographical book that has recently been remade into a TV series (on the HULU streaming channel -- got good reviews and I'd added it to my to see list months ago, but haven't yet) about a +size woman with a voice; I now know, she talks about it in her essays repeatedly as point of pride, that the first episode includes her having an abortion and not regretting her choice. (I've never had to have an abortion, but I can't imagine having one and not being sad or at the least conflicted about it, no matter how much it might have been a necessary choice.) While I was unfamiliar with this author's name, apparently even before the TV show she'd become something of a progressive woman's voice in online media and has been a prominent voice in some of the flame wars I HAD heard about between progressive/feminist women and the mediocre white men who are so threatened by them -- which I suppose is why a major publisher was interested in her autobiography and then the TV show. ALL of that said, I don't completely agree with her point of view, only about 75%, and even that said, the problem with books like this I suppose is that only the people who agree will tend to read it, so I'm not sure what the point is. Also, I was expecting it to be humorous, in the vein of The Daily Show, and it's spin offs, but while I thought she had some good points and turns of phrase that were worth remembering, not once did I even crack a smile let alone laugh. It felt pretty heavy handed and preachy, a bit self indulgent, but what it wasn't was funny. I kind of want my 6.5 hours back.

Write all the books, Lindy West!

The writing of Lindy West has gotten me through my twenties and through my mid thirties. As a woman from the same region and the same age, I have benefited from Lindy’s voice in my head as I navigate what the f**** is going on. She puts into words the thoughts and feelings of frustration with systemic injustice I’ve had while educating me how to dismantle it, or at least interrogate my own part in it. This book is giving me hope in these strange times.

Geezee

A whole lot of wining. I am sympathetic to all of her causes. But enough is enough. Contrary to what she leads you to believe men are not the enemy. Small minds are. Don't waste your time or money on this book.

Sucked me in and didn't let go

This book isn't perfect but I REALLY liked it. This was my very first introduction to the writing of Lindy West (I have since listened to Shrill) and I am totally hooked. Ms. West is a damn good writer and her delivery of her work in audiobook format is fantastic. I didn't necessarily agree with every point of view but that isn't the point. I learned quite a bit of new information from this book and it's funny to boot! I highly recommend this audiobook!!

Laugh, cry, learn

I simply adored this book. Lindy West masterfully encapsulates what is happening in our world in the context of her life and the lives of others both similar to and different from herself. I wish this audiobook was five hours longer.

Lindy tells it like it is

I love how Lindy just says what most of us know and experience. With her strength and boldness Lindy is changing cultural norms, even though she faces extreme backlash. Hurray for Lindy for standing strong.

must read

excellent writing as expected. hilarious and serious and perfect all around. she does a great job of keeping it light and serious and addressing the issues that we must all talk about on a daily basis for any change to happen. thanks Lindy!