Modern biographies or fiction about women overcoming alcoholism.
February 13, 2014 6:00 AM Subscribe
I have read Drinking, A Love Story, and Smashed, and would like to read more like those.
I like that they're modern, do not delve into a higher power--except in the context of AA meetings they attended, but their approach in general was not higher power oriented. They should be about women who work, are intelligent and generally function at a high but have a deep dark drinking problem that they overcome after hitting bottom. Not self-help written by therapists and such, but autobiographical or fiction like the two mentioned above. Also movies like this would be helpful.
I like that they're modern, do not delve into a higher power--except in the context of AA meetings they attended, but their approach in general was not higher power oriented. They should be about women who work, are intelligent and generally function at a high but have a deep dark drinking problem that they overcome after hitting bottom. Not self-help written by therapists and such, but autobiographical or fiction like the two mentioned above. Also movies like this would be helpful.
You might like the recent video interview with Elizabeth Vargas about this exact subject.
posted by jbickers at 6:06 AM on February 13, 2014
posted by jbickers at 6:06 AM on February 13, 2014
Marian Keyes! She has an autobiographical essay about her alcoholism in Under the Duvet (one essay among many) and also drew heavily on her experiences for her novel Rachel's Holiday.
posted by pie ninja at 6:10 AM on February 13, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by pie ninja at 6:10 AM on February 13, 2014 [2 favorites]
Lit, by Mary Karr.
posted by amaire at 6:13 AM on February 13, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by amaire at 6:13 AM on February 13, 2014 [2 favorites]
Someone linked this woman's blog on my FB feed the other day.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:15 AM on February 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:15 AM on February 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also, Julia Wertz, as discussed in this recent FPP.
posted by pie ninja at 6:17 AM on February 13, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by pie ninja at 6:17 AM on February 13, 2014 [2 favorites]
Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety by Sacha Z. Scoblic. It reminded me a bit of Drinking: A Love Story--very honest, with dry wit about the dry life.
posted by 2or3things at 7:45 AM on February 13, 2014
posted by 2or3things at 7:45 AM on February 13, 2014
If you're also interested in films that don't have a happy ending, you might try the documentary My Name Was Bette.
posted by dizziest at 8:44 AM on February 13, 2014
posted by dizziest at 8:44 AM on February 13, 2014
Linda Gray Sexton's (Anne's daughter) novel Rituals.
posted by brujita at 9:36 AM on February 13, 2014
posted by brujita at 9:36 AM on February 13, 2014
I haven't read them, but aren't 'Postcards from the Edge' and 'Wishful Drinking' by Carrie Fisher about her struggles with drug addiction?
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 10:48 AM on February 13, 2014
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 10:48 AM on February 13, 2014
Anne Lamott--funny, touching, fiction, non fiction, funny and absolutely entertaining
posted by rmhsinc at 11:24 AM on February 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by rmhsinc at 11:24 AM on February 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Sorry, I didn't see the part about you wanting books written by women...please disregard my Augusten Burroughs book recommended above.
posted by barnoley at 2:25 PM on February 13, 2014
posted by barnoley at 2:25 PM on February 13, 2014
Michelle Huneven's novel Blame is a pretty good one that should meet those criteria.
posted by libraritarian at 4:58 PM on February 13, 2014
posted by libraritarian at 4:58 PM on February 13, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Draccy at 6:02 AM on February 13, 2014