Coming Clean: A True Story of Love, Addiction and Recovery

Journalist Fraser (The Middle Years) sheds light on the reverberating effects of addiction and sobriety in this glowing memoir that unravels her experience falling in—and at times, out of—love with an alcoholic. As she writes, “There’s no point trying to describe how two people fall in love. They just do.” That matter-of-fact tone drives much of the narrative, as Fraser describes meeting and settling down with her partner Mike, moving to Venice with him and their newborn daughter in 2018, and quickly realizing the extent to which his alcoholism was shaping and shifting their lives. As Mike’s relationship with drinking escalated to catastrophic extremes, he became abusive, unpredictable, and dangerous. Even in describing his destructive behavior and gaslighting, though, Fraser illuminates the complexities of loving an addict and why she “didn’t run a mile” when his illness became apparent: “I know it may never make sense to anyone who’s not been in this position, but bad can exist next to good, cruelty next to kindness, anger next to love.” In the end, her wry prose, sharp self-reflection, and affinity for the uncertain reshapes her fraught experience into a nuanced story of resilience. This will be a beacon of hope for those whose lives have been touched by addiction. (Nov.)