The Face of Addiction

Stories of Loss and Recovery

By: Joshua Lawson

Narrated by: J Grant Bunting

You've heard the horror stories about drug addiction. Your eyes glaze over with half-hearted interest when you see the stats surrounding the "opioid crisis." You know you should care that 130 people are dying of accidental overdose every day in America, yet you just can't seem to muster the compassion. Substance use disorder may be a vague abstraction to most of us, but our friends and family are not. Our sons and daughters aren't "junkies" who deserve to be written off by society. They are human beings whose lives are filled with meaning and potential.

Joshua Lawson has worked as an organizer, pastor, and ally to people who use drugs in central Appalachia for the past three years. The Face of Addiction tells the stories of 12 people he met when he first began "getting close" to the things that matter in his community. There's the woman whose husband succumbed to an overdose, even though she was sure he'd finally beaten it. The man who found a reason for recovery in his daughter's letter to Santa. The city councilman whose perspective finally changed after years of family turmoil. What's more, two of the people featured here have died since giving their interview.

That's how important it is for you to hear what they have to say. So much heartache and loss. So much joy and redemption. So much humanity. This is the face of addiction.

©2021 Joshua Lawson (P)2023 Joshua Lawson

Loved the book and the voice

This book is so needed for people to understand that addicts are sick not bad people. The voice of the narrator was wonderful. I have failed to finish audiobooks where the voice was annoying. Hope to hear more of J. Grant Bunting.

Humanizes Addiction / A Good Read (Listen)

This is great storytelling on a topic that affects all of us, whether that's directly or indirectly. I prefer listening to books over reading them (multitasker here!), so the narrator is crucial to my enjoyment/appreciation of any book--including this one. So, while I don't typically call out the narrator, in this instance I will. J. Grant Bunting is a refreshing narrator among a crowd of everyone-sounds-the-same voices. He brought the stories to life with clarity, compassion, and great pacing. I highly recommend.