Viola’s stark honesty is on full display as she recounts the painful side effects of her addiction: sexual assault, homelessness, and strained family relationships are just some of her tragic experiences, but she’s careful to emphasize how the hard work of recovery paid off—despite a failed stint at Hazelden in Minnesota—leading to a successful sobriety journey, with the assistance of local rehab and abundant AA meetings. After earning a bachelor and master’s degrees, Viola established her own thriving consultant business and achieved “a solid, amazing marriage… [with] no games [and] no baggage.” Viola and her husband, Mike, have two daughters who, she writes, are learning “the value of grit and working towards success.”
Viola, now 27 years sober, is an incredible success story for those facing similar struggles. “Nobody tries a little something at a party - a wine cooler or beer or hit of pot or a mushroom or a pill - and is suddenly hit with the reality of what one’s life will look like in 4 years after trying that one harmless little thing” she writes. Her bravery will sow seeds of hope for fellow addicts and those who love them, alongside reassurance of a way forward and a life without substances, fear, or judgment.
Takeaway: Raw memoir of addiction with a healthy dose of hope for recovery.
Comparable Titles: Marya Hornbacher’s Wasted, Koren Zailckas’s Smashed.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
