September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Substance abuse affects not only those struggling with addiction and going through recovery but also their loved ones. These three memoirs tell the real stories of people who have dealt with substance abuse and found their way back to where they are truly meant to be in life. We hope that by introducing these memoirs, we can help those affected by addiction find inspiration and a guide to help you or your loved ones back to their desired path.
Content Warning: This article contains mentions of substance abuse. Please exercise personal care while reading.
Drunk-ish: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving Alcohol by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
SYNOPSIS:
Written by Stephanie Wilder-Taylor, Drunk-ish delivers a glimpse into the life and devoted relationship the author has led with alcohol ever since she was in high school. Stephanie always loved to have a drink to take the edge off and make things a little more lively. However, she starts to wonder if her love for cocktails and white wine goes a little too deep. After almost losing everything she loves in one night, she decides to take this as a wake-up call. Stephanie decides that if losing her dear friend, alcohol, will make her a better person even in the slightest, then it’s time to give it up.
WHY:
Stephanie Wilder-Taylor uses her recovery story to help inspire others on their journey to recovery and to show that, though it may not be for the faint of heart, it can be overcome. This memoir, along with Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay, are both ways for Stephanie to get her story out. Through her writing, she guides others along their recovery journey and encourages the loved ones of those who are currently suffering from addiction.
I Quit Everything: How One Woman’s Addiction to Quitting Helped Her Confront Bad Habits and Embrace Midlife by Freda Love Smith
SYNOPSIS:
In Freda Love Smith’s memoir, we get a glimpse into how the pandemic, political challenges and disasters, and her social environment all dared to overtake her and her sobriety. When stresses of life rose about, her instinct was to go for a drink in the middle of the day, a cup of tea, or even some cannabis gummies at night. Her addiction not only went to alcohol and drugs, but also to caffeine, sugar, and social media. When she begins to long for a drink in the middle of the work day, Freda wonders if it’s finally time to let go of all things holding her back. Through her story, we learn how breaking free of her addictions helped better her in her motherhood, career, and daily life.
WHY:
Freda Love Smith writes her memoir to show that not only can common addictions to alcohol and drugs hold you back, but so can addictions to technology, social media, caffeine, and many other everyday things. By letting go of her addictions, she became a better role in every area of her life, and she shows that in her memoir, using her story to inspire others to make a change as well.
The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Lara Love Hardin
SYNOPSIS:
Lara Love Hardin is a suburban soccer mom with a beautiful two-story home living the American Dream. She attends all of the games, PTA meetings, and everything else expected of her. But what people don’t realize is that she’s been stealing her neighbor’s credit cards to fund her heroin addiction. After getting arrested for 32 felonies, Lara finds that jail isn’t that much different from the outside world, aside from the living situations. While serving time, Lara gets to know and befriend the inmates around her and finds herself climbing the social ladder in her new environment.
Once released, she builds a new life for herself by legally co-opting the identities of others and networking with exciting people, such as Oprah. However, Lara only has one thing still dragging her down: her guilt and shame. Lara Love Hardin’s memoir focuses on both the good and the bad that come from a situation such as hers and how to overcome all obstacles in recovery.
WHY:
Lara Love Hardin writes her memoir to show her journey throughout her recovery and the ugly truth behind it all. It’s not all easy or pretty to overcome the shame, guilt, and other struggles that come with recovery, but it’s a path worth taking. By pouring herself into her work, Lara faces all of the bad that follows her through her recovery and uses it to help others today.
We hope these three authors and their stories have helped inspire you. Recovery is not an easy journey, but it is possible, and these authors are the proof. Tune in to next week’s Three to Read for more curated recommendations!
Click here to read last week’s Three to Read article about swoon-worthy campus romances!
Find these books and more on our Bookshop shelf, Bookstr’s Three to Read: Weekly Recommendations.
