Diary of an Alcoholic Housewife

By: Brenda Wilhelmson

Narrated by: Brenda Wilhelmson

"A gripping, firsthand story of personal triumph and recovery by a wealthy American housewife who appeared to have it all but who was, in reality, losing life's most important moments in an alcohol-induced haze." (Hazeldon Betty Ford, publisher)

Brenda Wilhelmson was like a lot of women in her neighborhood. She had a husband and two children. She was educated and made a good living as a writer. She had a vibrant social life with a tight circle of friends. She could party until dawn and take her children to school the next day. From the outside, she appeared to have it all together. But, in truth, alcohol was slowly taking over, turning her world on its side.

Waking up to another hangover, growing tired of embarrassing herself in front of friends and family, and feeling important moments slip away, Brenda made the most critical decision of her life: to get sober. She kept a diary of her first year (and beyond) in recovery, chronicling the struggles of finding a meeting she could look forward to, relating to her fellow alcoholics, and finding a sponsor with whom she connected. Along the way, she discovered the challenges and pleasures of living each day without alcohol, navigating a social circle where booze is a centerpiece, and dealing with her alcoholic father's terminal illness and denial.

Brenda Wilhelmson's Diary of an Alcoholic Housewife offers insight, wisdom, and relevance for listeners in recovery, as well as their loved ones, no matter how long they've been sober. Winner of a Bronze IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Awards), Diary of an Alcoholic Housewife was called out by the Today Show as "striking a nerve".

©2011 Brenda Wilhelmson (P)2018 Brenda Wilhelmson

LOVE IT !

When I saw that Simon & Schuster calls it “A gripping first-hand story of triumph and recovery,” I knew it was for me. I bought the print version and loved it. The audiobook you can listen to over and again because is is so dense with interesting stories. I also like that it is narrated by the author herself. A great book for anyone suffering from addictions, and anyone who loves them.

Longgggg

The first part of this book is great; the reader sees how this woman is struggling. She is relatable and the story is interesting. As the story continues, it begins to drag on and on. She quits drinking and really never looks back. It doesn't seem like it was even difficult. Story after story about AA meetings and the mundane life of a mom gets pretty boring. It is difficult to follow the story at times because she doesn't remind the reader who she is speaking about.

Good Book BUT....

The vocal fry on this woman nearly pushed me over the edge. Either cough it up or clear your voice for god sake

Raw, honest, refreshingly candid look at recovery

Diary of an Alcoholic Housewife is a raw, honest, candid look at the recovery process through the eyes of a powerful woman with the strength and humility to turn her struggle into inspiration for other women who silently stagger through the fog of high functioning addiction. Brenda's story is profoundly relatable in a society that largely depends on alcohol as a social lubricant and a fundamental facet of hospitality in general.

Alcohol is as intrinsic to culture as food, music, art and literature. Brenda's book shines a light on the tight rope walk that so many of us walk in an effort to feel better and have a good time, to relax and connect with others.

It is a treat to hear Brenda's story narrated in her own voice. It lends authenticity and intimacy to the experience of listening to the courageous journey of this tiny heroine of her own life.

Bravo, Brenda. Thank you for taking the concept and reality of alcoholism out of "skid row" and placing it on Main Street and Fifth Avenue where it also belongs.

Wonderful

I found this book enjoyable, informative, heartfelt and not a bit histrionic. I heartily recognize this.

Excellent!

Enjoyed this so much! Honesty with ourselves is not always easy to face up to especially faced with alcoholism. Many lessons to be learned from Brenda & we can all use self introspection! Loved this!

A very long book with very little depth.

I love reading books on sobriety and I truly enjoy empathizing with other addicts and alcoholics even when their story doesn’t align with mine. I didn’t like how small minded and judgmental towards others Brenda came across as. And the only thing I learned about her husband Charlie is that he is non-charmingly horny. The representation of them as a couple was very off putting and slightly repulsive, lol. It was a very long book with very little depth.

If drinking is controlling you, GET THIS BOOK

This is a book I couldn't put down. The author is brutally honest about her struggles with alcohol and I found we had ALOT in common! I laughed, teared up, laughed again, gasped and read this (in kindle form) straight through in one weekend. I loved the humor, the honesty and the fact she held nothing back from her readers. I too struggled with alcohol but finished this book along with my last glass of wine and have been sober 2.5 years since. Powerful read.

Raw and Real

I found this book to be honest, raw, real, painful, insightful, and connecting.
Brenda took me through her old habits of numbing cocktail hours and painful hangovers. I got a glimpse of how damaging it was to her and how she struggled, yet has overcome such a challenging disease. It was sad to hear about all of her friends and family still struggling with this disease. But I was amazed at the same time that Brenda has been so strong to overcome the holds of alcohol, and the constant pulls of the addiction trying to drag her back down. Even going through the gut wrenching cancer and alcoholism of her father and the steps leading up to his death reminded me that we only have so much time on earth and how we must make the absolute most of our time here.
All of Brenda’s descriptions/imagery of food, places she’s visited and different events were colorfully vivid and I was desperate to taste and could almost taste the different delicacies she described.
Listening to her find connections to her higher power, giving up life to something much bigger than her was completely cathartic for me. Hopeful and amazed, my respect for Brenda has grown exponentially throughout the story.
It also has me realizing how much I have not seen in my life by way of traveling. I imagined myself with Brenda in Budapest and her soulful hike in Havasu.
Overall I’m thankful for the great source of insight that Brenda has provided me via her story. We have choices. There are awesome people around us and we just have to weed through them to find the people who will enlighten us, care for us, root for our victories and be there when we fall. We have to also recognize those who only bring toxicity in our world, like the Kelly’s of the world and other sufferers of addiction whether recovering or relapsing. This book has surely made me think of the dangerous people in my world. These are people who drag us down to their level, only to put themselves on pedestals. It was an eye opening book that I’m thankful to have read.
Brenda, I can wait to read/listen to your next book!!! You have touched me down deep, brought me further into your world, and for that I am grateful. With love.

Narrator Detracts; This Might Not Be For Everyone

The narrator has bouts of “vocal fry” which I found distracting. Also character voices, while supposed to be whiny, struck me as over the top.

I worry that this book’s descriptions of her longing for “a vodka over ice” or the lovely “dry Pinot Grigio” might trigger someone early or vulnerable in their sobriety. It is a diary so it is legit as to her state of mind, but be cautious. Good read for friends and family of a problem drinker who hid it well. Gives an accurate portrayal of high functioning upper middle class woman giving up alcohol.