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Three years after giving up drinking, Jowita Bydlowska found herself throwing back a glass of champagne like it was ginger ale. It was a special occasion: a party celebrating the birth of her first child. It also marked Bydlowska's immediate, full-blown return to crippling alcoholism.

Review

"While the title suggests a simple autobiographical autopsy of motherhood marred by alcoholism, Bydlowska's memoir delivers far more - a human portrait of the disease." - The New York Times Book Review

"It is a memoir that pushes at boundaries - what is private, what should perhaps be kept private, what we need to know, what we don't, what is insightful or just exhibitionism. [O]ne of the most talked about books of the season... " --The Globe and Mail

"Drunk Mom is a rarity in this age of constant overshares--a work that had me questioning, "Does she want us to know this? Should I know this?" as I read it. ...At times, it's also a shockingly amusing read, sprinkled with wry, dark humour. I couldn't put it down." - Vice

"[M]aternal tippling is a trendy topic on 'mom' blogs... But these chirpy, jokey accounts don't touch the dark spiral of addiction Toronto writer Jowita Bydlowska relives in this riveting account... Bydlowska is an evocative, talented and gutsy writer who appears willing to confess all... Bydlowska writes of watching other upscale stroller-pushing moms and wondering: do they hide mickeys in their diaper bags too? With this bracing book, others will now be asking that question as well." --Maclean's

"To understand this story in the guise of an addiction memoir is to misunderstand its worth.... Instead, this book is fresh within the context of a parenting memoir, one of a particular kind: A counterculture parenting memoir. [It] stands as an uncommonly perceptive chronicle of what it means to be an intelligent, urban parent trying to hold on to the rest of her life. As a writer she's got some chops." --National Post

"A compelling, raw look at her struggle with alcoholism, the addiction that swallowed [Bydlowska] after the birth of her son." --Elle (Canada)

"Drunk Mom is a stunning, harrowing read. Why harrowing? Not just because of the dramatic story, of a new mother at the edge of her tether. And not only because of Jowita Bydlowska's skill as a writer, and the crisp, original way she tells it. What's most harrowing about Drunk Mom is that you can't stop reading it--this, the dark, now-told tale that lurks in the shadow of every seemingly normal family." --Ian Brown, author of The Boy in the Moon

"A brave, brilliant and scathing self-portrait. Full of energy and insight. If Frida Kahlo had been a writer, she might have been compared to Jowita Bydlowska." --Patricia Pearson, author of A Brief History of Anxiety - Yours and Mine.

"Fearless and troubling, and so very humane, Bydlowska explodes the cutesy momoir genre. You'll read it in one sitting." --Katrina Onstad, author of Everybody Has Everything.

"This is quite simply not just another addiction memoir. It's something truly special. I felt this book. It carries the reader. It whispers. It really is can't-put-it-down great!"
--Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, author of I'm Kind of a Big Deal: And Other Delusions of Adequacy.

"Jowita is matter-of-fact, funny, fearless, and irreverent as she lifts the veil to chronicle what it means to be a young mother when both baby and mother have their own bottles -- the shame and the inner voices, as well as the joy and relief. This book is for anyone who has ever struggled to make it through a day."
--Laura Albert, a.k.a. JT LeRoy, author of Sarah, The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, and Harold's End

"Jowita Bydlowska, to steal a phrase from Hemingway, writes hard and clear about what hurts. And man oh man can she write! ...In my decades as a lover of books I've written only two fan mails. One of them went to Jowita Bydlowska. Thank you, Jowita, for Drunk Mom - for its rawness, for its clarity, for its bravery." --Angie Abdou, Fernie Fix

"It takes guts to write a book called Drunk Mom. You couldn't pay me a million bucks to slap my name under a title like that. In fact, I suspect very few people in the world who share a story like this would. But I'm glad Jowita did because you know where I am right now? I'm about to enter one of those Amazing Awesome meetings. I hadn't been going regularly; I was taking a break. Drunk Mom brought me back. " - She Does the City

'[A] gifted writer, and a courageous one... Without glibness, without self-pity, knowing that she risks being judged, Bydlowska tells her story.... Luckily for those reading her story, she possesses a wickedly dark sense of humour." --The Gazette, Montreal

"[She] eschews the touchy-feely language of recovery ... The cool yet raw efficiency of Bydlowska's prose, a testament to her successful journalistic career, repudiates indulgence of any kind. This detachment is what makes Drunk Mom both a painful yet paradoxically effortless read." -- Literary Review of Canada

About the Author

Jowita Bydlowska was born in Warsaw, Poland, and moved to Canada as a teenager. Her work has appeared in various publications, including Salon and the Huffington Post. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her son and his father.

Review:

4.5 out of 5

90.77% of customers are satisfied

5.0 out of 5 stars raw, honest, touching

A.W. · 4 March 2023

This book really touched me. Some of the one star reviews about the author thinking she is beautiful, looking down on everyone and so forth clearly can't grasp the subtle irony running through the book. It's written from the brain of an addict living in a fantasy land - that's the whole point.I have a lot of empathy for the writer and her brain, having adhd/asd and a brain that never ever switches off, and that constant narration of one's own life - that's how my brain is constantly- judging everything around it (all brains do - it's how they are wired to survive) and then creating a narrative or story around those thoughts.All the way through reading this tale I had to wonder if this mum struggled with neurodiverse issues - and I was reminded of Gabor mates into the realm of hungry ghosts, and his thoughts on adhdHowever, I'm not a doctor, I just drew some parallels. I can understand the taking a drink to drown out the noise or the social anxiety. Alcohol is pushed on people and then stigmatised when itv becomes a problem.A cautionary tale - not quite wolf of Wall Street level cautionary - but also an interesting, raw and honest story.

4.0 out of 5 stars Unusual Raw Honesty!

M.S. · 20 August 2013

At times random as I am sure the author intended but always with a brutal and self aware honesty that you don't find in a great deal of today's literature.Often todays authors has one eye on the film manuscript. It will be a brave producer that takes on this subject matter however it could make an award winning movie in the right hands.I hope Ms Bydlowska turns her clear talent to other subject matter.

5.0 out of 5 stars sad, wonderful, insightful

a. · 12 August 2013

I heard about it in a Sunday Times article and once I started reading I couldn't put it down. It was a touching, tragic but uplifting tale of alcoholism and new motherhood... And generally of being human and coping with the rollercoaster of life.I really liked her and really wanted her to find sobriety... and happiness. She deals with drinking and the joys and pitfalls of it incredibly well as well as the rush of love but also pressure fear and isolation that having a baby can bring.Well done... Your story will help others (it has just helped me...) and you are a great writer who surely has lots more to write and share with the world... A great new talent I reckon... Watch this space.

3.0 out of 5 stars Alcoholism unfiltered

K.C. · 4 June 2020

A filterless, raw account of life as an active alcoholic for a new Mom. I found the metaphors difficult to follow at times and felt the writing could have been better

5.0 out of 5 stars IF STRUGGLING WITH ALCOHOL ADDICTION AND YOU ARE A MUM READ THIS BOOK

A.C. · 23 April 2020

THIS BOOK REALLY STRUCK A CHORD WITH ME, I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN AS IT WAS SO RELATABLE. HONESTLY DO NOT WANT TO DRINK EVER AGAIN AFTER THIS. THANK YOU TO THE AUTHOR I TOO WANT TO DO THIS FOR MY SON'S. SUCH A RAW DARK AND HONEST ACCOUNT OF ADDICTION AND PARENTHOOD.

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful

C.M. · 12 May 2015

What a brutally honest book about addiction. As a new sober mum, it really helped me to emphasize with the author. Powerful and empowering

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully encouraging book

W. · 5 January 2016

This was an amazing book and if the author is reading these reviews I would like to say a massive Thank you to her. I'm a mum too and heavy drinker, until I read this book and felt someone understood what I had been through in my life, it helped me understand myself and my drinking. In two weeks I have had one evening on the booze, this is unprecedented for me and I am embracing a new life. It's also hilarious at times, very clever.

5.0 out of 5 stars Brutally honest and beautifully written. Bravo!

M.S. · 22 April 2017

This book is truly unputdownable. It is shocking, raw, poetic and anyone who has been an addict will be able to relate. The author reaches deep inside her soul for meaning and true descriptions. I loved this book. It helped personally and I am grateful for the bravery of the author to put these experiences into print.

Honest and refreshing.

A.C. · 5 September 2023

Incredible, raw account of addiction, mental illness, and guilt. This doesn't read as preachy or trying to rationalize her past transgressions for public approval. This is honest and down-to-earth, making for a book that's difficult to walk away from without reading another chapter, making highlights, or finding wisdom in refreshed, highly original and personal language. This was recommended by my professor in passing, and I do not regret picking this up for a second. Artfully written and honestly captured.

Wow...

T. · 1 April 2019

I haven’t devoured a book like that in a very long time. I was completely enthralled and couldn’t put it down. I had low expectations expectations for this due to some of the reviews, but I realize now that the incredibly creative and fascinating artistic choices the author makes in her writing just put this book out of their grasp. Phenomenal read. Highly recommend.

Adoro.

�. · 15 May 2020

Perfezione, fa piangere un po'

Fresh Take

z. · 18 August 2018

Loved it. My favorite writing style - lean, precise, every word in service to the story. It's a tale I've read more times than I would like to admit, but this is such an honest, unsentimental, brutal and funny approach. Highly recommend.

Interesting

K. · 21 May 2013

Interesting story about addiction with a "twist" - ie, someone brave enough to write about being drunk and a new mother at the same time. I enjoyed hearing about places in my own city where the author went throughout her story, and the fact that "the boyfriend" is a well-known writer for the Globe and Mail. I remember reading about the boyfriend's retina problems in a Toronto Life magazine article and the coming together of two Toronto writers and their stories was interesting.

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Drunk Mom: A Memoir

Name: Drunk Mom: A Memoir
Brand: Penguin Publishing Group
SKU: K0143126504
Price: 5.61 BHD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.3 (13 reviews)

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Product origin: United Kingdom

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