Last Book Review

I've made a habit of reading every book, fiction and nonfiction, about drug addiction/alcoholism. I'm done.

I just finished Cost: A Novel by Roxana Robinson. This is a beautifully written story of three generations of a family gathered together, only to find out that the protagonist's youngest son is addicted to heroin. The author writes so knowingly about how addiction effects every member of the family, I finished the book depressed and weary.

When someone finally says the word "heroin" out loud, the mother, Julia, thinks:

"All new from here on. We haven't been here before."

Later she is walking on a busy street imaging everyone knows the family secret:

"A wave of shame hit Julia. She had been moved into a different part of humanity. She was now behind a high wall, in the shadow. Other people, other parents walked on the other side in the sunlight, talking and laughing."

I remember that feeling exactly. I had a disease, I had brought a sickness on my family. Heroin. It set me apart, like a leper.

The book is excellent, the words capturing all the stages of grief, guilt, fear, anger, and acceptance. I highly recommend this book, if you think your heart can take it.


For new readers, here is a list of my favorite nonfiction books on substance abuse.

One Way Ticket by Rita Lowenthal
The Lost Years by Kristina Wandzilak and Constance Curry
Addict in the Family by Beverly Conyers
Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp