Keeping Secrets

With an intention to skim this book, I became engrossed in what Suzanne Somers had to say about her life before fame and living with a severely alcoholic parent. She shares vivid details she endured at the hands of her father, low self-esteem, shame, fear, anger, violence, craziness, hostility, chaos and more. As she describes her pain and emotional feelings, she backs up what she says to give the reader some better understanding of her behavior or that of the alcoholic. One example is when her father ripped her nicest clothes she wore while attending school. With a heavy object, she almost cracked his head open and feared he was dead; she blamed herself and begged that he not die. Asking herself why she reacted with violence over simple clothes, her response was that the clothes were a mask that hid who she really was and a mask to the shameful crazy sick homelife. She helps the reader by explaining thoughts and actions taken. The story begins when she was a child and it follows Suzanne after she left home to reveal a chaotic financially struggling young woman with a kid, early marriage, affairs, abortion, therapy, and so on. Fortunately, she and Alan Hamel, a Canadian producer, resolved their edgy relationship combining two families and they lived happily ever after, since she is still married to him as of 2007. Suzanne's mother was not a drinker, but too weak and powerless to intervene. Back in those days it was easier to let drinkers just be drinkers. But I am baffled how a mother allows a man to be cruel to her children, to destroy their spirit and soul? I'm quite sure the mother's esteem is broken down too. To me, there can not ever be any excuse to torment children. The final notes Suzanne Somers shares come from a dinner/entertainment act sponsored by the Alcoholics Anonymous, initiated by her sister Maureen, who has recovered. Two brothers followed the path of their father also. Somers feels grateful that her entire family has recovered or is in the process. This book was published in 1988 and her father had been free of alcohol for 10 years. This is a very well-written book that helps to understand the family dynamics and the troubled alcoholic.... Rizzo

Recognizing your own behavior and the behavior of you family members is only one of the ways that you can learn from this TERRIFIC book! I have so much respect for her after reading this!

After years of living with the hurt, disapointment, bitterness and pain of an alcoholic husband, I read Suzanne's book. It was like she was writing the story of my life. The words and actions of her father are the same words and actions that I have lived with. I am able to understand that what happened to my husband is not his fault, but a disease that he is afflicted with. I no longer feel the need to get revenge or to fix the problem. I can live with the disease and know that it is up to him to seek help. It is not my problem to fix, but I do the best I can to love him and give any help that I can. If alcoholism is making your life hell, please read this book.

I would like to personally thank Susanne Somers for writing this book that changed my life. Unfortunately I can't do that so I would like to express my gratitude with this review. I read the book "Keeping Secrets" because it is about being a child of an alchoholic which I am. Little did I know that this book would open my eyes to the disease of alchoholism from which I myself suffer and lead me into the rooms of Alchoholics Anonymous which was what saved her family. I have been sober now for 31/2 years since I finished the last page of her book and went to an AA meeting. I have been given a second chance at life. My family has been repaired and I am a new person. My life is so blessed today thanks to the education I recieved in this enlightening auto biography. Thank you so much Susanne!

Lying separates people is one of the many poignant quotes I remember from this book. Anyone, regardless of age, let me qualify that, anyone in Jr. High or older, can learn something about themselves, friend, partner, neighbour or loved one after completing this book. Somers does a masterful job in systematically outlining her life as a young person. She utilizes Sharon W-Cruz' model of the dysfunctional family very well. Anyone in denial should not read this book. The illusions of chemical dependency are stripped and the facades are challenged. We are not talking about some dozzy fake blond we saw on '3's company'. We are talking about the ghosts that Suzanne allowed to come out of her closet. She has the academic ability to do what former NHL player Sheldon Kennedy who was victimized by his Junior hockey coach (Graham James) has not been able to do...yet. Good for her. People, kids and victims need to read this.