My Friend Leonard is the story of an extraordinary friendship formed in the most unlikely of circumstances. When James Frey first meets Leonard in the rehabilitation centre so powerfully described in A Million Little Pieces they are both recovering drug addicts. Despite their highly unreliable track records their shared grit and humour sparks a mutual admiration which quickly transforms into firm loyalty. Leonard himself is charismatic and contradictory; at once a magnetic father-figure and a shady mafia boss. When he leaves rehabilitation it is to return to this dubious yet prosperous life in the criminal underworld of Las Vegas. In contrast, when James leaves the centre his world seems set to implode. Unsure where to turn, James calls Leonard and he answers. Paradoxically, it is in Leonard?s lawless underworld that James discovers the courage and humanity needed to rebuild his life.

"The book is a gruesome, unpretentious and utterly convincing tale of recovery....[W]hat matters in Frey's work is the truth of his condition and his struggle to tell that truth. When writing about the self-loathing and horror of addiction, he is the best I have read." San Francisco Chronicle

"Reading My Friend Leonard can feel a little like being cornered at a party, someone pouring their heart out to you, lifting up their shirt and showing you their scars, and all the time you're wondering: When can I escape and get a drink?" Newsday

"[A] raw, often visceral, reading experience. With Frey's emotions so close to the surface, it's impossible not to care about Frey's struggles to reintegrate into society and prosper. Another powerful read from a talented, dynamic author." Booklist (Starred Review)

"In My Friend Leonard, James Frey describes adjusting to life without [a] protective blanket. The effect is vivid, splashy, mesmerizing. Indeed, he has put the Technicolor back into memoir." Minneapolis Star Tribune