Sweet Mystery: A Southern Memoir of Family Alcoholism, Mental Illness, and Recovery

Rating:
Summary: A rare memoir that is not self-indulgent or self-pitying
Review: So many memoirs by survivors of extremely disfunctional families are simply impossible to read because of the author's overwhelming desire to wallow in self-pity. This memoir is insightful and clear, hiding nothing, but the tone is never pitiful. This would be a great book to use in a classroom learning about memoir, and also a good book for therapists to use with patients learning how to deal with their own "bad deals" as children. I usually read a book and pass it along to my mother and sister; but I'm keeping this one and buying separate copies for each of them.