“The only way out was through.”
In sometimes difficult and at other times exquisite detail, Erin French spins the details of her life in this memoir. After a childhood filled with moments in which she tried so hard to win the approval of her father, who rarely showed emotions and was even cruel in his comments at times, she ends up getting pregnant at twenty-one and giving up her dreams of finishing college and getting a good job. Falling back on her past experience working in her father’s restaurant and love of food, she picks up jobs in that line of work. Eventually she marries an emotionally abusive man, and gets hooked on pills prescribed by her doctor.
I would love to see this book in the hands of older teenagers or young adults, because this path to addiction seems to be one that is often started because the person is having trouble dealing with the problems that come from life. Erin became addicted to bills prescribed by a doctor for trouble falling asleep, anxiety and depression. That detail was missing in the brief blurb I read about the book.
This was definitely worth reading. Erin’s determination to have a better life shines through the pages and I appreciated all the details she shared.
There is cursing throughout.