Lit by Mary Karr

During the first few months of my sobriety I was strolling through Barnes & Noble searching for something good to read.  I happened up Lit by Mary Karr.  I skimmed the summary of the book, and it sounded interesting enough; so, I decided to give it a go.  As I was reading through the book, I was really amazed by all of the ways that I could identify with this woman and her story.  About a third into the book I found myself getting up to grab a pen and started underlining sentences to which I could relate.

Mary Karr reached the height of her alcoholism in her 30s, which was when my drinking began to be a problem for me.  During this time she had a wonderful little boy.  Um, hello, just like me.  I have often felt guilt for continuing to drink like I did when I had such a wonderful, young child.  Lit gave me a chance to see that I was not alone and that it was possible for a person to find their way out of alcoholism. Lit by Mary

In an NPR interview Mary Karr admits, "I didn't want to stop drinking. I didn't quit drinking because I wanted to stop drinking. I want to do all these things that aren't particularly good for me. My hells are pretty much self-constructed."  Here is another way that I can relate to Ms. Karr.  I didn't quit drinking because I particularly wanted to.  I quit drinking because it was destroying things that were precious to me - my relationships, along with my sanity.

This is a great book to read if you want to know more about how an alcoholic mind works or if you are looking for strength and hope in another person's story.