‘There is a moment of clarity that life would be better without alcohol’: what we can learn from addiction memoirs
After losing her father to alcohol addiction, author Sophie Calon turned to writing – and found clarity, connection and hope in other stories of relapse and recovery
TL;DR
- The author's father died from alcoholism at age 55, leading her to begin writing compulsively.
- Her memoir, "Long Going," recounts her life with and without her father, finding it to be uplifting for readers.
- She is now sober-curious, understanding the stakes of addiction as a parent.
- The author has found connection and understanding in other memoirs about addiction and recovery, such as those by Amy Liptrot, Ashley Walters, Arabella Byrne, Jesse Thistle, and Octavia Bright.
- She reflects on the idea that alcoholism is a family disease and the importance of memoirs in sharing these experiences.
- The author plans to mark her father's birthday with events supporting charities for children of alcoholics and in locations significant to his life.