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hlm52's review
5.0
This book means so many things to me. It speaks to the power of self-reflection through writing, of entering into our relationship with the Father through prayer, of going to the dark caves where our pain lives, of the daily practice of forgiveness, and of knowing the presence of God in the midst of suffering. I am so thankful Seth was willing to share his story and help all of us choose to face the pain we are often so desperate to avoid. And while our bodies still ache and we still hear the groans of creation, there is so much healing in walking into the pain and trusting that God walks beside us.
kbelcher1992's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book a great deal. It made me question things and some of my own actions in a new light. I was lucky enough to hear Seth teach in an addiction class so to hear that and then read the book was a really cool combination. I would thoroughly suggest to everyone especially anyone that struggles with doubt in their own faith and avoidance of their own demons.
toniapeckover's review
4.0
This is a memoir about coming clean from alcoholism, but it's also a book about our addictions to self-medicating the fear, doubt, pain and grief that make up every day life. Beautifully written and unflinchingly honest, this is a book that we can all relate to. What mattered most to me is that Haines doesn't accept pat answers. He keeps digging deeper, keeps asking, keeps seeking. So often memoirs about faith and doubt stop blithely at the first bible verse that speaks and expect that somehow it is all-sufficient for the raging questions true doubters face. Not Haines. He takes the questions, sifts them, hunts for better answers, and in the end, learns to make peace with with both reality and mystery. That's a faith memoir I can read.
lmbartelt's review
5.0
Can I give it more stars? I'm not sure I've ever read anything more vulnerable. Seth's story is not just a journal of his sobriety but an outstretched hand of invitation to learn the way of inner sobriety from whatever dulls the pains of life's hurts. I couldn't put it down.
alltheradreads's review
5.0
This book, while mainly about Seth's journey through sobriety after alcoholism, is striking and poignant for any and all of us. The way he writes is powerful and poetic and incredibly raw. I didn't know what to expect and definitely didn't anticipate connecting with any of the themes, but I loved this one and would recommend it to anyone who has felt stuck in a pattern they know they need to break free from.
hilarymak's review against another edition
5.0
This was a beautifully written journal of the author's first 90 days of sobriety. Seth Haines is not your conventional alcoholic: an attorney, a worship leader, a family man, and the book is perhaps all the more striking because of this. 'There but for the grace of God ....' comes to mind. Brutally honest, searching and humbling, he confronts some of the 'demons' that he had never previously dealt with and that had maybe resulted in his drinking problem.
For me, it was the need to forgive that stood out and something that is still a totally real issue in my life. This quote sums it up:'Forgiveness is releasing all hope for a better past.'
For me, it was the need to forgive that stood out and something that is still a totally real issue in my life. This quote sums it up:'Forgiveness is releasing all hope for a better past.'
annebogel's review against another edition
5.0
This memoir, which reads like a journal of Haines's first 90 days of sobriety, was absolutely fantastic. I didn't expect to resonate so powerfully with Haines's story about overcoming an addiction to drink, but as Haines writes, "we're all drunk on something." He makes the case that alcohol is just one of many ways to hide from our real lives, and that the journey to wholeness isn't easy for any of us. This poignant, beautiful book is about so much more than overcoming addiction.
mandyfreddy's review against another edition
4.0
"Karl Marx was wrong: it's the illusion of perfection that's the opiate of the masses."
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