The Recovering

April 15, 2018

Jamison appears to have devoured books by alcoholic authors in an effort to understand her own life as both a writer and an alcoholic. She relates their situations to her own in interesting but indulgent ways, using an overly introspective style. The audience for this work is limited by the author, who assumes her readers are also addict-writers who will appreciate the complicated and intricate interplay of words and the many references to famous writers with addictions. Jamison narrates her personal story of alcoholism, recovery, recidivism, and more recovery. The author as narrator works because Jamison gives her experience, with all its many asides and backstory, a shape with an emphasis and a tone that no one else could have done. As Jamison says, "You have to be sober to listen to this."VERDICT Recommended for large public libraries.--Karen Perry, Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 26, 2018
Jamison easily captures the intimate feel of her writing style in the audiobook edition of her gripping memoir about her struggles with addiction. She enmeshes listeners in her early adulthood and the endless forms of agonizing pain—and blissful pleasure—that she experienced via drugs and alcohol. Jamison smoothly intersperses her personal anecdotes with words from so-called drunk prophets John Berryman, Jean Rhys, Raymond Carver, Billie Holiday, Elizabeth Bishop, Denis Johnson, and others. She wants to dispel the long-held beliefs that addiction cannot be broken, and that misery, booze, and drugs are the engines of the creative process. Jamison transports listeners into her Alcoholic Anonymous sessions, where she learns to escape her self-absorption, listen to and sympathize with others, tolerate boredom, and treasure the consolation of shared experiences. It’s doubtful that another narrator could have engaged listeners so deeply in such a difficult and timeless issue. A Little, Brown hardcover.