A Star for Stella

A Mother's Journey to Overcome

By: Leia Baez

Narrated by: Leia Baez

Length: 3 hrs

Publisher's summary

Do you believe the most difficult journeys can lead to the most beautiful destinations?

One tragic night turned into years of self-discovery for a struggling mother. A Star for Stella: A Mother’s Journey to Overcome follows author Leia Baez as she fights her way back from abusive trauma, alcoholism, divorce, losing custody of her only child, and self-doubt. Her eye-opening trials force her to re-evaluate her life, her habits, and the kind of role model she wants to be for her daughter.

This award-winning journalist’s memoir is proof that anything is possible with faith. It exemplifies how traumatic situations can be used for good and growth. It is a testament to how “tough times don’t last; tough people do.”

Leia Baez’s story will show listeners:

• How to develop a positive mindset when we feel the world is against us
• How we can overcome alcoholism in a society where drinking is normalized
• How trauma—or any difficult time in life—can actually redirect us to who we are meant to be

A Star for Stella offers uplifting proof that perseverance through failure and mistakes can allow anyone to overcome.

©2021 Leia Baez (P)2022 Leia Baez

A Rare Glimpse into a Mother’s Own Acceptance of her Alcoholism and All the Beauty that Unfolds After

Having read the full gamut of Quit Lit, from Mary Karr’s Lit, to Augusten Burroughs, Dry to Annie Grace’s, This Naked Mind and many, many others in between, A Star for Stella provides a different, but necessary perspective on both the interior and tangible destruction that alcohol can have on a person and those they love. Baez offers the reader a chance to witness the back and forth reckoning that can cloud a person’s view of the destruction that their own drinking has created. The clear, concise language she uses to describe what happened is in stark contrast to the ambiguous, vague idea that she demonstrates around why it happened: Alcohol. Like so many addicts, she seems the last to know that she is, in fact, addicted. Reading A Star for Stella, it’s easy to recognize the little lies and tricks we all play with ourselves, in an effort to obscure our own truth.
Unlike so many other accounts of addiction and recovery, A Star for Stella magnifies the reality that most people concerned about their drinking face. Baez redefines Rock Bottom in uncomfortable terms that suddenly include the majority of sober curious readers. Maybe one bad event IS enough a reason to stop. Maybe you don’t have to lose everything to make the decision towards change. Maybe jeopardizing the things you love is all the reason one should need.
The redemption in this story is just as climactic as any other recovery memoir. Baez transforms her life and redirects her story in a way that speaks to a wider audience. She gently suggests that you don’t have to demolish your entire self in order to rebuild the much stronger, more beautiful version.

Powerfully relatable

It takes so much courage to look in the mirror and own our own faults. I can honestly not put into words how powerful and relatable this book is. Prayers for continued blessings to the author. This book is a must.

Fantastic Read!

Fantastic inspirational read, for Leia to have the courage to look within herself and be brutally honest, is something we can all should do and can learn from!