Synopses & Reviews
A frank, fresh, and empowering take on facing addiction, doing recovery, and savoring the joys of a new way of living
What could possibly be "lucky" about addiction? Absolutely nothing, thought Laura McKowen when drinking brought her to her knees. As she puts it, she "kicked and screamed . . . wishing for something — anything — else" to be her issue. The people who got to drink normally, she thought, were so damn lucky. But in the midst of early sobriety, when no longer able to anesthetize her pain and anxiety, she realized that she was actually the lucky one. Lucky to feel her feelings, live honestly, really be with her daughter, change her legacy. She recognized that "those of us who answer the invitation to wake up, whatever our invitation, are really the luckiest of all." Here, in straight-talking chapters filled with personal stories, McKowen addresses issues such as facing facts, the question of AA, and other people's drinking. Without sugarcoating the struggles of recovery, she relentlessly emphasizes the many blessings of an honest life, one without secrets and debilitating shame.
Review
"We Are the Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life isn't a recovery memoir, exactly, though it is certainly in conversation with the genre's many classics. At the same time, calling it a "self-help" book undersells its grace, lyricism and narrative complexity. It also shouldn't be limited to readers who are confronting substance abuse; it holds a good deal of "surprising magic" for anyone seeking to live a more honest, vivid life." Shelf Awareness
Review
"Raw, deep and hopeful."
Foreword
Review
"Full of truth and grace and love."
Glennon Doyle , author of Carry On, Warrior
Review
"Wise and piercingly astute, Laura McKowen's voice opens a window into the heart. A profound storyteller, McKowen offers a fresh lens on the world of recovery, of modern culture, and so much more."
Ann Dowsett Johnston, author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol
About the Author
Laura McKowen had a successful career in public relations and the Mad Men-esque drinking culture of advertising. After getting sober, she became recognized as a fresh voice in recovery, beloved for her soulful and irreverent writing. She now leads sold-out retreats on sobriety and is a celebrated yoga instructor. She lives outside Boston.
Laura McKowen on PowellsBooks.Blog
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