Diary of an Alcoholic Housewife

A Life Changer!

This book is not only a life changer, but a life saver! As a physician's wife, involved mother, community volunteer, and secretly struggling alcoholic, it was difficult to reconcile my growing shame with society's picture of what an alcoholic looks like. The author's brave voice and familiar stories inspired me. I related to her, and this gave me hope! This hope allowed me to overcome my fear and awaken to my own program of recovery. Everything in my life has changed, and while it has not all been easy, I remain deeply grateful "Diary of an Alcoholic Housewife" showed me the path to a new, much happier, healthy life. I consider this book to be one of the most important I have ever read.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Raw, honest, refreshingly candid look at recovery

Diary of an Alcoholic Housewife is a raw, honest, candid look at the recovery process through the eyes of a powerful woman with the strength and humility to turn her struggle into inspiration for other women who silently stagger through the fog of high functioning addiction. Brenda's story is profoundly relatable in a society that largely depends on alcohol as a social lubricant and a fundamental facet of hospitality in general.

Alcohol is as intrinsic to culture as food, music, art and literature. Brenda's book shines a light on the tight rope walk that so many of us walk in an effort to feel better and have a good time, to relax and connect with others.

It is a treat to hear Brenda's story narrated in her own voice. It lends authenticity and intimacy to the experience of listening to the courageous journey of this tiny heroine of her own life.

Bravo, Brenda. Thank you for taking the concept and reality of alcoholism out of "skid row" and placing it on Main Street and Fifth Avenue where it also belongs.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

If drinking is controlling you, GET THIS BOOK

This is a book I couldn't put down. The author is brutally honest about her struggles with alcohol and I found we had ALOT in common! I laughed, teared up, laughed again, gasped and read this (in kindle form) straight through in one weekend. I loved the humor, the honesty and the fact she held nothing back from her readers. I too struggled with alcohol but finished this book along with my last glass of wine and have been sober 2.5 years since. Powerful read.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Like you are right there with her

The writing in this book is magnificent with details and imagery. The author, Brenda Wilhelmson, reading it makes you feel you are right there with her. I’ve listened to many audio books and several biographical that were read by the author and she is up there with the best! In this book, she is excruciatingly honest about how she was before and after quitting alcohol. No matter what your situation is, this is a book worth hearing. We all have habits we struggle to drop but can’t seem to do it. She not only makes you feel like you are not alone, but that we are all human and to struggle with ourselves is normal. I appreciate the details of her thoughts... so relatable. Read (listen) to this book. It is a delight to listen to her.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Longgggg

The first part of this book is great; the reader sees how this woman is struggling. She is relatable and the story is interesting. As the story continues, it begins to drag on and on. She quits drinking and really never looks back. It doesn't seem like it was even difficult. Story after story about AA meetings and the mundane life of a mom gets pretty boring. It is difficult to follow the story at times because she doesn't remind the reader who she is speaking about.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

LOVE IT !

When I saw that Simon & Schuster calls it “A gripping first-hand story of triumph and recovery,” I knew it was for me. I bought the print version and loved it. The audiobook you can listen to over and again because is is so dense with interesting stories. I also like that it is narrated by the author herself. A great book for anyone suffering from addictions, and anyone who loves them.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Raw and Real

I found this book to be honest, raw, real, painful, insightful, and connecting.
Brenda took me through her old habits of numbing cocktail hours and painful hangovers. I got a glimpse of how damaging it was to her and how she struggled, yet has overcome such a challenging disease. It was sad to hear about all of her friends and family still struggling with this disease. But I was amazed at the same time that Brenda has been so strong to overcome the holds of alcohol, and the constant pulls of the addiction trying to drag her back down. Even going through the gut wrenching cancer and alcoholism of her father and the steps leading up to his death reminded me that we only have so much time on earth and how we must make the absolute most of our time here.
All of Brenda’s descriptions/imagery of food, places she’s visited and different events were colorfully vivid and I was desperate to taste and could almost taste the different delicacies she described.
Listening to her find connections to her higher power, giving up life to something much bigger than her was completely cathartic for me. Hopeful and amazed, my respect for Brenda has grown exponentially throughout the story.
It also has me realizing how much I have not seen in my life by way of traveling. I imagined myself with Brenda in Budapest and her soulful hike in Havasu.
Overall I’m thankful for the great source of insight that Brenda has provided me via her story. We have choices. There are awesome people around us and we just have to weed through them to find the people who will enlighten us, care for us, root for our victories and be there when we fall. We have to also recognize those who only bring toxicity in our world, like the Kelly’s of the world and other sufferers of addiction whether recovering or relapsing. This book has surely made me think of the dangerous people in my world. These are people who drag us down to their level, only to put themselves on pedestals. It was an eye opening book that I’m thankful to have read.
Brenda, I can wait to read/listen to your next book!!! You have touched me down deep, brought me further into your world, and for that I am grateful. With love.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Narrator Detracts; This Might Not Be For Everyone

The narrator has bouts of “vocal fry” which I found distracting. Also character voices, while supposed to be whiny, struck me as over the top.

I worry that this book’s descriptions of her longing for “a vodka over ice” or the lovely “dry Pinot Grigio” might trigger someone early or vulnerable in their sobriety. It is a diary so it is legit as to her state of mind, but be cautious. Good read for friends and family of a problem drinker who hid it well. Gives an accurate portrayal of high functioning upper middle class woman giving up alcohol.

Good Book BUT....

The vocal fry on this woman nearly pushed me over the edge. Either cough it up or clear your voice for god sake

I really wanted to like this.

But I could not justify the entertainment value once I started to get to the parts where she, legitimately, puts her kids life in danger time after time by driving drunk/hubby/friend/dad driving them around drunk. And this was when she was completely SOBER.

I’m a pretty feee style parent but I just couldn’t get over that.

Honestly, I think all of her problems with alcohol would have been solved had she had a full time job litside the home. She came across listless, antsy and bored. Judge time over- I enjoyed the stories about her and her friends but was very confused by the B.B. gun story and why that was a “bad” story?”