14 October 2019

Lies Lies Lies

The week before last I was killing time at Stansted Airport, waiting to put Kay on a flight to Berlin for an International Medical Conference she was attending. Browsing the shelves of the well-known bookshop found in most high streets, stations and airports, I was half looking at my watch and half wondering what to buy to make myself look less like a shifty shoplifter. As I perused the shelves of the latest paperback books, my eyes fell upon one entitled Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks. Suddenly on reading the resume on the back cover, I realised someone had written a book about me.  Or so it seemed from that resume.




Immediately I found myself at the till buying it. The first part of the book could definitely be about me. So many similarities, almost to the detail, about living with an alcoholic. I know the patterns of alcoholism are very similar, having been to Al-Anon meetings, or from articles about the subject, but I am talking intimate detail here, even down to where they go camping or my favourite Al-Anon slogan! 

I rarely read a book in a day or matter of days. I am usually so busy and so tired by the evening, that I am lucky to read a chapter at bedtime before sleep overcomes me. But this was different, I couldn't put it down. The similarities stopped about a third of the way through the book, but by then it had become so gripping I had to keep on reading. Chores and other pursuits got put to one side until I reached the end. It was well written and full of twists and turns. I wont spoil the story or the ending, but I thoroughly recommend it.


5 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

It is wonderful when a book - any book - grips you like that. Reading should not be a chore but sometimes it can feel that way.

Flowerpot said...

Right - I'm going to order it from the library. I love getting lost in a book! X

Linda said...

I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your blog. It gave me insight on myself and it showed my how much compassion was missing when our family hit bottom. I was too afraid to have compassion. But we all do the best we know how at the time, right?

I particularly related to an early post, All the Fun at the Fair. Something quite similar happened to us on a fourth of July fireworks show. It was horror filled. A bunch of us ended up taking him to the hospital while everyone else in the party went home. I was incensed when my sweet caring cousin, who is my age, texted my teen daughter to let her know that he was there for her if she ever needed anything. WHY WOULD SHE NEED ANYTHING? Boy was I in denial.

Thank you for putting a very difficult time of your life out there, so that others can find strength and wisdom in their own storm.

ADDY said...

Thank you Linda for your kind words. I am so sorry you too have had to live with alcoholism. It's not easy, is it? I am glad that my blog has helped. It is all too easy to believe you are on your own with this problem, but knowing that you are not alone and that alcoholism follows a pattern is helpful. Take care.

Anonymous said...

I was married to an alcoholic who died at 51. We divorced many years prior. We loved each other and spoke to the end. I dodged a mighty bullet, but, at times, feel guilty still. He was the love of my life.

He loved alcohol more.