REVIEW for She Bets Her Life

A huge thank you goes out to the author, Mary Sojourner, for sending me a copy of her book!



TITLE: She Best Her Life

AUTHOR: Mary Sojourner

GENRE: Memoir/Adddiction/Recovery

RATING: 4 Stars




I read a lot of books on addiction and (hopefully) recovery. However, She Bets Her Life is the first book I have read on the addiction of gambling - which is, frankly, one of the addictions that scares me the most - because it seems to easily accessible to ANYONE.

In this story, the author tells of her journey towards self destruction - one little bet at a time. She is completely honest with her part in her own ruin and how this addiction gripped her so tightly that she felt as though she could not breathe and would, in fact, never recover. For some reason, I started crying when I read this one - which is something I rarely do when I read books on addictions that are not my own.

Anytime I read a memoir on food addiction, I bawl my eyes out because I can so readily identify - but usually with booze or drug addiction, I can sympathize, but I don't feel teary eyed - yet! for this one I was a blubbering mess. I think it is because gambling is something that is not easily defined. Much like food - gambling and eating too much "once in a while" is extremely acceptable in society and, for the most part, even if we over indulge, we do not then get into a car and potentially kill somebody.

No - gambling like food addiction is much more cunning - it creeps up on you - and society never picks up on the "down side" of these two apparently harmless things - until the addict is completely out of control. I loved this book. The author is both likeable and unlikeable at times, doing things that you would not believe (yet, I totally believe it). She and the other people who share their stories are brave and give me hope that, with the help of other addicts, who are in recovery and by writing about our feelings and experiences, we can keep on the road ahead - not always an easy thing to do.

If you have to read one memoir on addiction this year, then it needs to be this one - be afraid.