Stark Raving Sober: a memoir (LC intentional!)

Donna Bailey-Thompson
PublishAmerica (2006)
ISBN 1424130018
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (5/07)

Donna Bailey-Thompson is a battle-scarred veteran of three tragic marriages. From the first one to a selfish man who cared little for her feelings. Up to and including the last two which led her to write this book. Donna wrote an article for the “Hartford Courant” which they featured as the cover story in their “Northeast Magazine.” This book is the result of that article.

This woman’s determination in being a survivor and not losing the battle to her choices for mates; makes for very informative reading. The struggles she endured were monumental.  From the rejection she received from her first husband (who did not want to father children), to the other two who were abusive alcoholics. Her gripping account of the many hardships she overcame and the violent physical abuse she was lucky enough to live through. All this turmoil in her life and she still maintained her sanity.

She tells of husband number two as being very loving one minute and then an evil beast the next. She compares his moods to that of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and recounts many instances that she uses for examples. With every instance, she began to feel the strain upon herself and she mentions the path she took for her own sanity. Steve was an officer in the US Air Force and as such, ruled with the same commanding authority at home. Thanks to the help of her good friends and supportive people around her, she managed to rid herself of this menace.

But then she wound up with a similar alcoholic. Though this one was not into such physical abuse, he was into womanizing and more verbally abusive than the last one.
Donna relates many intimate details in her book. These details were straight out of her personal diary which she religiously kept current. She mentions all the times he would drink, embarrass her and make a fool out of himself. But rather than divorce him, she would fall for his lies and keep giving him second chances.

“Stark Raving Sober” is a great book and I recommend it highly to anyone that has gone through or is living with an alcoholic. It is a true account of a woman’s plight for sanity in an insane situation. I have given it my highest A+ rating and assure you it is well worth reading.

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