Thalassa Papakonstantis - Memoir - Drinking: A Love Story, by Caroline Knapp



Caroline Knapp dives with such honesty into the martini filled pool of her relationship with addiction, that to read Drinking: A Love Story is almost like peering into her diary to read all that led to her sobriety. Included in this tell-all are also accounts of one-night stands and the like, even stemming back to her first moments of college. This categorizes the book at unsuitable for an under eighteen year old, according to current practice and standards, but I feel would be amazingly helpful for the new college student.  Like a fly on the walls of the dirty bars she frequents, we get to see and even feel the excruciating moments of shame, self-disgust- and regret that made up her life until she quit drinking. The marvelous elements of these accounts are the incredibly clear picture Ms. Knapp creates. She delves into the long history, from childhood on, and even her family's own history, so that one can understand the progression her addiction took. Most importantly, she recognizes how as a young adult, her insecurities, and lack of belief in herself, instantly bonded with the euphoric feelings that booze gave her, which led to many moments of recklessness. If perhaps this book is read by an emerging teen, just  becoming an adult, a person's life can not only be saved, but improved on and nurtured with the honesty it takes look at yourself, that young people so earnestly need.