A Memoir of alcoholism and addiction, faith and family, hope and humor.
Her grandparents were alcoholics. Her parents were alcoholics. She is an alcoholic and pill addict. Her oldest daughters struggle with alcohol and drug addiction, and her youngest daughter started using heroin at age fourteen.
Everything I Never Wanted To Be is the true story of a family's battle with alcoholism and drug addiction. Dina Kucera's household also includes her husband and his unemployed identical twin, a mother who has Parkinson's Disease, and a grandson who has cerebral palsy. On top of all that, Dina is trying to make it as a stand-up comic and author so that she can quit her job as a grocery store clerk.
This book lives up to its title and more. Dina kept the book refreshing with her wit and humor and her personality. I loved how she would tell a difficult past time or tell about a bad day she had had and add her little hints of humor and end it with her sarcasm and humor.
I learned while reading this book that Dina has an amazing amount of strength to have been able to handle and deal with her daughters, their boyfriends, family and co-workers/boss. The fact that this whole mess was going on in her life and she would still go to work every day and put up with crap from people then go home and deal with the mess at home is astounding. I don't know if I would be able to do that. I tip my hat to this amazing woman.
At times this book hit home for me because I have a 21 year old niece; she was using and stealing for about a year. Then while stealing at some high end store one day she was caught, arrested and spent two and a half months in jail. This forced her get clean and sober the hard way. But while in there she found out she is 21 weeks pregnant. That gave her reason outside of herself to be and stay clean and think of the future. As well as think of someone else besides herself. She is now out of jail and a little over 100 days clean. She and her boyfriend (who is also clean, Thank God) of five years now live with her mother ( my oldest sister) .
I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this book. This is a book that is impossible to forget. Even though it was sad( and yet funny throughout, I loved that she didn’t lose her humor; instead used her humor as a way to deal with all that was going on in her life i.e. her daughters, husband, work, in-laws, etc) and pulled at the heart strings, there are lessons to learn in this book. You would and/or could be the best parent in the world giving your child(s) all you got; and this could still happen to you It isn’t necessarily you as the parent; we do all that we can to better our children, teach them right from wrong…but at some point they fly out of the nest and fly (or at least try to) on their own. We can do all that we know to help and hope they accept and better themselves, but at some point they must do it on their own. I love that Dina made it clear not to lose your faith and humor during times like these (or anytime) because that is one of the only things that will get you through it.
I will be talking about this book for a long time. I am so glad I got the opportunity to read this memoir.
So of course I recommend this memoir! I highly recommend this book.
I received my copy of this book from Pump Up Your Books. Thank you Dorothy for letting me be part of this blog tour.
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