Mommy Doesn't Drink Here Anymore: Getting Through the First Year of Sobriety

Brownell is a frequent contributor to various online parenting spaces, including The Imperfect Parent (www.imperfectparent.com), Babble.com, and Yahoo's Shine site (shine.yahoo.com). In this frank memoir, she journals her slide into alcoholism and her first year of recovery. She details in a conversational voice how her postpartumdepression and the stresses of mothering three children, all under five years old, triggered her gradual dependence on multiple glasses of white wine. Her participation in social "cocktail playdate" groups for mommies with young children deepened the problem. Brownell doesn't pull any punches about the ugly side of her addiction, and her first year of sobriety is fraught with times where she felt lost, as if she were hanging on only by her fingernails, and overwhelmed by life without alcohol to help buffer it. Verdict Brownell has an easy, readable style and a simple message. There is no glowing happy ending, just the reality that life must be faced one day at a time. This work will appeal to readers who like memoirs about ordinary people overcoming difficult life problems; individuals who find 12-step and recovery literature helpful will also be interested in this personal journey. --Library Journal June 15, 2009, Crystal Renfro, Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, Reviews

"Mommy Doesn't Drink Here Anymore is an excellent read. I was absolutely entranced by Brownell's journey, her wit, her honesty, her special connection to Ted (her recovery soul mate), and the many women who helped her stay sober. And I was so relieved that she got the message. Her story touched me deeply, not just because I am a woman in recovery, but because a story of hope resonates. This book deserves a wide audience." Karen Casey, Ph.D. author of Each Day a New Beginning and Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow, Reviews

"...The real story is the subtitle of the book, "Getting Through The First Year of Sobriety" Kids or no kids, you will relate to this. We all have had to get through the first year, or maybe you are trying to get through the first year (maybe for the first time maybe for the umpteenth time)...You don't need someone to tell you the story because I think Mommy Doesn't Drink Here Anymore is a book you will want for yourself. Buy it, read it, and when you are through, pass it on. If you don't like sharing your books (I don't) tell your friends about it and then pass on the strength and hope I am sure you will have received from Rachel's message." Kathy L., BellaOnline's 12 Step Recovery Editor, Reviews

"Mommy Doesn't Drink Here Anymore gives the reader insight not only into the effects of addiction on the entire family, but solutions for those in the grips of family trauma. Rachael's journey, well written with wit, humor, and brutal honesty, is a must read." Barb Rogers, author of TwentyFive Words and Keep It Simple and Sane, Reviews

"Brownell's evocative and poignant Mommy Doesn't Drink Here Anymore is the story of every woman, a redemptive coming of age memoir as challenging as it is healing; a support group in prose. Whether you are struggling to reconcile your addiction or looking for guidance as a mother, woman, human being, Brownell's journey of self-awareness and selfdiscovery is sure to motivate and inspire. A triumph of a memoir for all women enduring." Rebecca Woolf, author of Rockabye: From Wild to Child, Reviews

"Rachael Brownell's true story of her journey into those first 12 months of recovery is a candid mirror. Written straight from her heart, Brownell understands the denial, fear, guilt and shame. She also conveys the pride she gained as she continued in her recovery. Comfort, encouragement and support are interwoven with her words. A gift for anyone who is seeking their own Truth regarding addiction and recovery." Barbara Joy, author of Easy Does It, Mom, Reviews

Part recovery, part self-help, and all real, raw stories of waking up for the sake of your self and your children, Mommy Doesnat Drink Here Anymore follows one motheras journey from cocktail mama to sober mama. It is not a book that preaches or simply takes the reader through the Twelve Steps. It provides hope and motivation to get into a program and balance your life as a mother and a recovering alcoholic.