Quitter
A Memoir of Drinking, Relapse, and Recovery
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Quitter
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Narrated by:
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Jean Ann Douglass
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By:
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Erica C. Barnett
About this listen
"Barnett's prose style is brassy and cleareyed, with echoes of Anne Lamott." (Beth Macy, The New York Times Book Review)
"Emotionally devastating and self-aware, this cautionary tale about substance abuse is a worthy heir to Cat Marnell's How to Murder Your Life." (Publishers Weekly starred review)
A startlingly frank memoir of one woman's struggles with alcoholism and recovery, with essential new insights into addiction and treatment.
Erica C. Barnett had her first sip of alcohol when she was 13, and she quickly developed a taste for drinking to oblivion with her friends. In her late 20s, her addiction became inescapable. Volatile relationships, blackouts, and unsuccessful stints in detox defined her life, with the vodka bottles she hid throughout her apartment and offices acting as both her tormentors and closest friends.
By the time she was in her late 30s, Erica Barnett had run the gauntlet of alcoholism. She had recovered and relapsed time and again but after each new program or detox center would find herself far from rehabilitated. "Rock bottom", Barnett writes, "is a lie." It is always possible, she learned, to go lower than your lowest point. She found that the terms other alcoholics used to describe the trajectory of their addiction - "rock bottom" and "moment of clarity" - and the mottoes touted by Alcoholics Anonymous, such as "let go and let God" and "you're only as sick as your secrets" - didn't correspond to her experience and could actually be detrimental.
With remarkably brave and vulnerable writing, Barnett expands on her personal story to confront the dire state of addiction in America, the rise of alcoholism in American women in the last century, and the lack of rehabilitation options available to addicts. At a time when opioid addiction is a national epidemic and one in 12 Americans suffers from alcohol abuse disorder, Quitter is essential listening for our age and an ultimately hopeful story of Barnett's own hard-fought path to sobriety.
©2020 Erica C. Barnett (P)2020 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
“I can’t think of another memoir that captures the nightmare of drinking relapse like this one. Erica Barnett’s tale is brutal, maddening, and beautiful. Quitter will give hope to anyone afraid they can't ever get this thing. Hang in there. You just might.” (Sarah Hepola, New York Times best-selling author of Blackout)
“[Barnett] paints a grotesque portrait of the horror show that is alcoholism with great skill and style. I tore through this book.” (Cat Marnell, New York Times best-selling author of How to Murder Your Life)
“Quitter is all these things: a beautifully told story of one woman's descent into darkness; a rigorously researched exploration of the causes and treatments of alcohol abuse; a furious howl of pain. Erica C. Barnett has written a female story of addiction that moves beyond clichés and accepted truths. I loved this book, in all its raging glory.” (Claire Dederer, author of Love and Trouble)
What listeners say about Quitter
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- AmyTakesPhotos
- 05-10-24
Very insightful and honest, helpful to anyone who works in the field of addiction and anyone struggling with the disease
I really enjoyed this and found it helpful for my work as a recovery worker. Only negative is that it was sometimes hard to keep track of who was who in relation to the writer, especially some of the men in her book. But I suppose this reflects the chaos alcoholism brings. Would recommend to anyone who wants to stop drinking, who helps people that do or has a family member with the disease.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Josephine
- 11-06-21
A story of character.
I found that at times this was difficult to hears. So many relapses and a reminder that unless you keep the focus alcoholism will keep on coming after you. I'm glad I didn't read this at the start of my journey.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- mark gawthorne
- 06-05-21
Harrowing, truthful and well written
The honesty of this book is the stand-out for me. It has been very well written and the narration is excellent. I have read many stories of addiction and recovery, this isn't rock-star stuff this could (and does) happen to anyone of us. One tiny criticism is the final relapse is glossed over almost as though it's "we've been here before, I won't bore you with the details again" yet it was as important to understand as the first relapse. One of the best biographical books covering alcoholism you will find.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 04-09-20
the best out there
As an addict in recovery for some years now, I have read and listened to a LOT of memoirs and stories dealing with alcoholism. I find - as a someone who likes to find strength in the experiences others - that it really helps me process my own journey. There's a of stuff out there that spares the details that only we (the few) have truly experienced. They sanitise it and - as far as I'm concerned - lessen the seriousness of the catastrophe that is alcoholism. This book is very different. As it progresses, we are spared nothing. Everything is shared TRULY and earnestly. Inner thoughts, awful mornings, failures and successes. I really, really think it's the best I've read in a long, long while. If you have a problem, OR are recovering and need strength and hope, I'd give this a go. I adored it and it has helped me (even though I am 7 years into sobriety) enormously.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- susan
- 22-07-23
must read for those who have failed more than once
narrated excellent, story was fascinating and definitely shocked me to learn there are deeper rock bottoms, especially with your own health.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Barry webb
- 26-12-20
True story of addiction
loved it , I really needed this book, I have relapsed so much and it's the REAL recovery not what the movies make it out to be. You beautifully told the story of relapse and recovery I so badly needed the relation. READ!!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Emmie Smith
- 11-10-24
The journey of a woman with alcohol addiction
Sobering (no pun intended..) helped me with my.own journey of recovery and addiction. thank you for the honesty
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Marie Layton
- 25-06-21
Boring
I just didn’t get the hype about this book. Maybe it’s just not my type of book but I found it dull and monotonous.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Anon
- 19-07-23
Dullllll
Not sure why I persisted really, almost gave up a few times. Bla bla bla bla bla
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