Just the Way He Walked is a moving testimonial of a mother's undying love and dedication to her son as he falls into addiction following the divorce of his parents. This memoir is a great lesson for all who are living the nightmare of an addicted loved one.
--Susan G. Weidener, author of Again in a Heartbeat, A Memoir of Love, Loss and Dating Again.
Just the Way He Walked is a very powerful memoir giving hope to parents/caregivers everywhere who struggle with the question, "How can I help my alcoholic son/daughter?"
--Dorit Sasson, Certified SEO Coach, content strategist and author of Accidental Soldier.
. . . a beautifully written, deeply insightful and candid account of the effects of addiction on entire families. This story that spans decades is also a tribute to faith that can lend hope to any family dealing with the addiction of loved ones.
--Sharon Lippincott, author of The Heart and Craft of Memoir Writing
In Just the Way He Walked, Kathleen Pooler has painted a masterful portrait of addiction and codependency. Anyone who loves an addict will recognize this story. A memoir that is both heartbreaking and uplifting.
--Lynne M. Spreen, author of the Karen Grace/Blues Series.
Kathleen Pooler's sensitive and articulate description of the heartache of addiction moved me deeply. To have struggled through the addiction of your son and had the diagnosis of cancer at the same time . . . her courage and determination will be a tremendous inspiration to many.
--Charlene D. Jones, M.Ed/M.A Meditation Teacher, Psychotherapist and author of The Stain: A Book of Reincarnation, Karma & the Release From Suffering and Medicine Buddha/Medicine Mind.
The deeper I read into Kathy's story, the more I wanted to cry out to God, "How much should one person have to endure?" Battling Stage Four Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, for decades she also agonized over her son's drug and alcohol abuse. Kathy's unfailing love for her son prompted everything she did to help him, yet he kept having relapses. Often driven to despair, she didn't understand that her enabling hindered him from taking responsibility for his actions and choices. She wrote, "It would take years and many Al-Anon meetings and prayers for me to break my addiction to his addiction and be able to set firm boundaries for myself and him." Throughout it all, Kathy never stopped loving her son, always had hope for him and for herself, and always trusted God. Because her heart's desire is to offer hope to those dealing with addictions, Kathy offers a wealth of materials at the end of her memoir. They include sixteen lessons she learned over twenty-three years, several pages of resources for parents of addicted children, and book discussion questions.
--Linda K. Thomas, memoir teacher and author of Grandma's Letters From Africa and Please God, Don't Make Me Go.
If family alcoholism and the author's physical illnesses were this story's only focus, readers would miss the pot of gold at the end--a rainbow of hope, one metaphor in Kathy Pooler's excellent memoir, Just the Way He Walked. Though no sunshiny fairy tale, Kathy's courageous story takes the reader through the ugly to reveal the beautiful, reason enough to keep turning the pages in anticipation of a hopeful ending, as I did reading her fine sequel to Ever Faithful to His Lead.
--Marian Longenecker Beaman, author of Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl.
