Thirty-Thousand Steps: A Memoir of Sprinting Toward Life After Loss

Essayist Keefe debuts with a moving memoir about how she took up long-distance running to cope with the death of her younger brother, Matt, from a drug overdose. She discusses Matt’s efforts to beat his heroin addiction, the emotional toll it took on their family, and her frustrations with the medical system’s tendency to moralize instead of administering effective treatment. She weaves reflections on her life with Matt into descriptions of the arduous training regimen she undertook after his death to prepare for the Brooklyn Half Marathon, an endeavor she took on to get her mind off of her brother. She describes the churches she passed on her runs and reflects on growing up Irish Catholic, telling how she drifted away from her faith in early adulthood because she disapproved of antigay churches and relating her brother’s skepticism of the religious elements of Alcoholics Anonymous. As well, there’s a harrowing and intimate account of finding Matt overdosed on the floor of his bedroom, her panicked call to 911, and the futile effort of the EMTs to save him. Keefe’s remembrances of her brother are touching, and her explanation of the science of addiction and medical professionals’ failure to treat it as a medical condition and not a personal vice give broader context to Matt’s story. The result is a poignant exploration of addiction and loss. (Dec.)