Lush

A Memoir

By: Kerry Cohen

Narrated by: Allyson Ryan

Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

"For those of us wrestling with demons - and who isn't? - Lush is a solace as powerful as red wine."(Claire Dederer, best-selling author of Love and Trouble: A Midlife Reckoning)

When Kerry Cohen reached her early 40s, she realized she had a drinking problem - just enough to blur the edges of her life that had become a monotony of working, carpooling the kids to school, and everyday distractions. What she also realized was that she wasn't the only one.

Lush is a gripping memoir that examines Kerry's struggles with alcohol, a struggle that a rising number of middle-aged women are facing today, as alcohol dependency among females drastically increases. A wonderfully poignant and relatable follow-up to her best-selling memoir Loose Girl, Lush follows Kerry as she attempts to rediscover the awe in her life, leaving mistakes, regrets, and the bottle behind her.

©2018 Kerry Cohen (P)2018 Tantor

Excellent Read

Excellent read. I Will definitely purchase Loose Girl. Look forward to reading her other book.

It left me feeling worse for having read it

It is hard to describe why I didn't really like this book, but I almost felt bad that i helped the author profit off of it. She just seems so all-knowing and smug.. Although she admits (in theory) to all of this self-awareness and will talk in self-depricating tones...it rings super hollow. Like you know she doesn't actually think she has done anything wrong that is truly her fault or that she truly takes responsbiility for any of her actions. Although Bob sounds like an asshole, I would guess his label of narcassist for her is an accurate one. I cringed as I listened to all of her countless retelling of nights and days she completely neglected her children. She talks about it SO non-chalantly too. Ughm, it made me just shudder. She comes off pretty unlikeable but probably not for the reasons SHE is comfortable being deemed unlikable. Now to be fair, some of this may be due to how the marrator of the audiobook chose to narrate it....a sentence can be read to come off as very condescending, or not...it is all style, which is the narrator's choice. Either way though, the whole book feels like a manipulation, all designed to make the author feel better about herself. It just leaves you feeling icky......and really feeliing awful for those poor kids. It really bothers me that her complete neglect of them and the incredidble damage she undoubtedly did to them (SHE did...not Bob, not her dad, not her mom....damage SHE did) seems to barely get a passing mention. Clearly she doesn't find the well being of her children very interesting or worth much self-reflection. Kyle gets how many pages? Her poor kids get barely a mention. Ugh....yuck. Way better books on recovery by people who seem far more genuine and authentic. For example, Mrs D is Going Without is great....so is Sober Curoius. Highly recommend those...

SAD

She is not an asshole (as mentioned in the book) because that would be an insult to real assholes. She is a narcissistic dry drunk. I was intrigued by her story in the beginning, but she trash talks true recovery. Her cavalier attitude towards 12 step programs and other recovery programs is a disservice to those who still suffer.

Good read

The only thing I guess I didn’t like is the moderation part. I think it’s hard to moderate. Especially when u dint have the ability to do it. I also agree with her in AA. It’s not for everyone. I think the constant reminder u have a disease is a downer. I think like she said u have to work on yourself and why u r running to drinking alcohol. That’s the key

Don’t bother

Just a story. No real connections. Not sure why I listened to the whole book. Maybe because it was short and I had an empty afternoon.

Honest

Read Loose Girl in college. This is basically the follow up to that. Really found it easy to get engrossed in bc the author is so honest especially towards her own actions. I found this book helpful as an insight to an period in life that isn’t often written about but people are now staring to tell this interesting life stories which I really appreciate.

I related to this book a lot.

I agree with the author that the human condition is enough to need a 12 step program . I too have dual addictions .

Much more up to date recovery options.

Very informational about more realistic, up to date recovery options for women. This book discusses AA, which was written for men in 1935 and just doesn't help many of "today's" women trying to maintain sobriety. It discusses other options that are available and more in tune with today's modern woman.

Wonderful

Funny, educational and sad. Must read if you liked “ loose girl” you will enjoy this book too

Eh

Why the need for the vulgar language? I’m not a prude but it was unnecessary.
I couldn’t really connected with the narrator and so the book didn’t have any impact. Just Eh.

All due respect…

…To this woman for sharing her story. This unfortunately didn’t do it for me. Not that that was the author’s goal. I listen to these memoirs to help sustain my sobriety and this one didn’t do that. If you are feeling vulnerable or need help and support in your sobriety journey I wouldn’t choose this book. If you just want to read a memoir about someone who struggles and is probably still struggling to this day because that’s life then this is the book for you.