The Cost of Living

To the shock of lovers and rivals, indie guitarist Bud Barrett is finally—if tenuously—married, clean, and sober. Now he faces the challenge of staying that way. To avoid repeating the past, Bud needs to confront the ghosts that dwell there. After decades of seeking redemption in the arms of “pervy Florence Nightingales,” Bud finds himself still haunted by his mother’s abandonment, his own array of crimes, and a murder he witnessed as a child. As he revisits his life of grief and reckless excess, all paths lead to his long estranged father, a man with his own turbulent history and the only one who can connect Bud’s fragments, unlocking the answers that just might save him. Praise from writers: Roberge’s writing is both drop-dead gorgeous and mindbendingly smart. The Cost of Living is an intimate, original, important novel that I’ll be recommending for years to come. —Cheryl Strayed, bestselling author of Wild (Oprah’s Book Club selection) Roberge has birthed a gritty, honest, sweaty, rock ’n’ roller about addiction and the elusive road to redemption. The Cost of Living will make you laugh, cringe, recognize, and keep you turning pages long after midnight. —Jonathan Evison, bestselling author of West of Here Praise from musicians: The Cost of Living is high--not so much in cash but in damage to the soul. Roberge’s new effort is a journey into the depths of the human condition that we rarely get glimpses of.