Unshaming: A Memoir of Recovery, Relapse, and What Comes After

Novelist Bydlowska (Monster) follows her 2013 memoir, Drunk Mom, with another unvarnished account of her experiences with addiction. She begins with the fallout from Drunk Mom; at a time when women “suffering from addiction and mental health issues... served as punchlines for comedians and late-night talk show hosts,” Bydlowska was criticized for publicly discussing the darkest corners of her life. Still, she stayed sober for two years after the book’s publication, only to relapse in conjunction with her partner’s infidelity. She initially experienced deep shame and worried she’d be considered a hypocrite, kicking off a “relapse-Shame-relapse trajectory” that continued even as she managed, for year-long stretches, to stay sober. Bydlowska writes with humility and lucidity about the mercurial nature of addiction, avoiding easy platitudes or excessive self-regard as she details the hard work of maintaining sobriety. Ultimately, she finds meaning in what she calls “unshaming,” a process of defanging the emotion by admitting to one’s actions without judgment. Her generous and frank chronicle will, like Drunk Mom before it, resonate with readers battling demons of their own. Agent: Samantha Haywood, Transatlantic Agency. (Mar.)