For some reason, we alcoholics seem to have the gift of picking out the world's finest women. So said Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder Dr. Robert Holbrook Smith (better known to millions of AA's as Dr. Bob). Speaking directly to his wife Anne, Dr. Bob was also indirectly addressing the extraordinary role played by women in the beginning, growth, and continuing strength of Alcoholics Anonymous.

This book profiles some of these remarkable women--women like Anne Smith herself, generally credited with being the first to recognize and foster the spiritual force that passed between Bill W. And Dr. Bob, later embodied in the Twelve Steps; the beloved Lois Wilson, wife of AA cofounder Bill Wilson and herself the founder of Al-Anon; Nancy O'D., one of the first women to sober up in AA in the New York area; and Ruth Hock, the devoted, indefatigable, and often unpaid contributor to the preparations for the publication of the book Alcoholics Anonymous.Here we see the challenges these women and others faced, as well as the feats of character and flashes of genius that carried them through.

A look into the lives of these women, full of the spirit and faith underlying their unique accomplishments, this book is also a tribute to their incalculable contributions to the success of the Twelve Step recovery program.

Titles under the Hazelden-Pittman Archives Press imprint focus on the history of Alcoholics Anonymous: its early years; biographies of its founders; the work of men and women who have made significant contributions to the fellowship; AA's spiritual underpinning, the Twelve Steps; and the continuing success of AA.

A groundbreaking, long-awaited, and long-needed book on the role of women in the development of organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon, Women Pioneers in Twelve Step Recovery is an excellent source of support and reassurance for women's programs and an inspirational resource for any woman in a chemical dependency treatment setting.