Mommy Doesn't Drink Here Anymore: Getting Through the First Year of Sobriety (Quit Lit for Fans of the Unexpected Joy of Being Sober)

Once I started, I was unable to put this book down till I had finished. I loved Rachel's voice: breathtaking candor laced with wry humor. I am neither a mommy nor an alcoholic. But the author's observations and insights transcend the specifics of her life. The book is about a struggle to make peace with the gap between life as imagined and life as actually lived. It has much to offer anyone old enough to have noticed the difference.

I appreciate Rachael's wide open honesty about her life and life with alcoholism, this has only helped me stay honest with mine. That she uses humor when the thought of alcoholism can seem daunting and life secretive because of it, is so very helpful. Thank you Rachael Brownell for the questions at the back of the book and where to get help if/when we need it - I love this book.

This book is a must read for any mother who suspects she may have a problem with alcohol or any person who has a relationship with a mother who may have a problem with alcohol. Brownell uses humor and brutal honesty to tell of her experiences and triumph through recovery in this sassy poignant memior. Brownell's story will resonate with "high bottom" alcoholics and help those around them to lend support and understanding. I especially appreciate her abilility to honestly tell her story without depicting herself as a victim. Her bouyant upbeat personality shines through as she avoids the maudlin depictions so often seen in memoirs about addiction. Her writing takes on the not so nice issue of alcoholism in a funny straightforward manner that had me nodding my head, smiling and laughing out loud. Her metaphors are fresh and funny, for instance, "I felt like a finger puppet without the finger." This is a hard book to put down. I suspect we are going to hear a lot more from this talented creative author. And I'm looking forward to it!

I run a Recovery and Inspirational Bookstore located on the campus of a Drug and Alcohol Treatment facility in West Palm Beach Florida. The treatment facility is home to as many as 70 people of all ages at any given time who pop over to the Bookstore for "anything" that will help them understand exactly how they arrived here...Everyone here has their own story or their "version" of....Seeing how some 8 years ago I began my career with Hanley as a patient first, I can relate to exactly how they're feeling. A huge part of the disease of Alcoholism is the denial component and within that, the sense of terminal uniqueness which keeps us sick -you couldnt possibly understand the "hows and whys" of my drinking.In the early stages of Recovery what needs to happen for an Alcoholic is a "connection"to another who can relate to how your feeling- the back bone of our 12 step program- One Alcoholic helping another and by doing that ultimatley helping themselves.What Rachel Brownell has so masterfully done is to take her raw,unnerving, skin crawling feelings of living inside the body and mind of an Alcoholic and shared those with us in such a way that we immediately relate to her and a connection is formed almost automatically! I ordered this book from the publisher by title only- really no knowledge of any of the content. It arrived and I loved the cover!I opened it up and at first glance thought "hmmm, I think she may have drank a few too many chardonnays with the girls and decided alcohol was icky- I'll write a book and share my story" I decided to bring the book home and give it a fair shake. Ok, by chapter 2 I knew I wasnt going to be able to put the book down- all I could think of was "how in the world does she know me so well... she's me... she's me.... she's me..I am THRILLED to share that her book was not only a honest, witty, descriptive account of her journey throughout her first year of sobriety, but it is filled with the message of RECOVERY which is the lifeline to any reader early in sobriety if they want to stay SOBER!! A MUST read - thats what I share with all the patients trying to figure out this "first year" (and all the ups and downs that come with it)and especially if your a mom getting sober or thinking that your drinking is only hurting you and no one else...Thank you Rachel for "Passing it On"....

Ms. Brownell has written a lively, raw and sympathetic memoir about being an alcoholic mom. The introduction begins with her life before being sober, having cocktail parties with other moms in the neighborhood. "I used to believe "Never trust a woman who doesn't drink" It's cute and clever. It's killing me." The writing is wry and vibrant. It quickly captures the reader's attention. It doesn't linger too much in any place, moving along at such a pace that I consumed it like a delicious candy bar. The memoir includes some personal background. She reveals how she tried to hold her life together as her parents divorced and her mother entered recovery. We discover how drinking has helps her avoid the challenges of parenting and relationships. Alcohol has taken her from her reality; it becomes a way for her to pretend her life is fine, when it is truly broken. It has put her family at risk. Can she give up the hooch? The remaining chapters are divided according to the 12-step system of offering rewards for periods of sobriety: 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, and a year. We witness the small rewards along the way, while admitting that sobriety isn't a picnic. Without alcohol, she need not be brave, self-sufficient, snarky or mean. She can be a human being, struggling with other people who want to live their lives without the haze and fog of booze. Her life isn't easy, but it is richer, fuller, with love and laughter. A prophet once said, "the truth will set you free" and that is what Brownell has chosen. Brownell keeps the story close to home, avoiding pat answers, offering a compelling, everywoman narrative. It fills out the current literature about being a new parent, refraining from too much evaluation or psychobabble. Because of its brute honesty and wit, it never feels too sentimental. It's a strong personal narrative. Unlike other bloggers who have unsuccessfully tried to move from blogging to writing, Brownell demonstrates that it is possible for someone who writes for the ADD generation to write powerful stories. It's a good book, and worth the price. I bought several copies to give away.