WOW. What a memoir. Christine has a lovely way of writing that really brings the reader on her journey. I felt like and old friend sitting in passenger seat.
It's an unusual topic in that there isn't an end per se. Which is great. *Don't want to say much so as not to spoil the book.

I loved how honest this book is. I read it pretty quick. I really enjoyed all the poems Natalie is very real,raw and honest in the poems. Overall very good book and really enjoyed the real emotions 🖤

“About Natalie, A Daughter’s Addiction: A Mother’s Love, Finding Their Way Back To Each Other” (2021) is written by Christine Pisera Naman is an engrossing memoir of truth, motherhood, and the healing certainty of support and unconditional love. Natalie Naman was raised in a loving nurturing home in a good neighborhood, the best schools and offered every opportunity for enrichment activities, lessons, and hobbies throughout her young life. Peter, husband/father is a Lebanese American physician, besides Natalie, he and Christine have two other sons.

It was utterly shocking for Natalie’s parents to understand and accept the fact that their beloved daughter had a serious drug problem. When they found a ladder outside her bedroom window, they realized Natalie had been sneaking out of the house, she had stolen Christine’s ATM card while she was showering to steal funds from her parent’s account. In addition, her valuables and jewelry were stolen along with various other small easy to pawn items. With the thievery, constant lying, off the chart mood swings, stepping on pills and needles left on the floor in Natalie’s room, her sudden disappearing acts, and worse things. Christine recalls her family story of addiction, guilt, and heartbreak-- each chapter ends with Natalie sharing in a confessional poetry verse style.

With the new fentanyl laced synthetic drugs, the possibility of overdose fatalities has escalated. Addiction specialists are now questioning the older “Tough Love” ideology and how “hitting rock bottom” will never happen if an addict dies. Christine observed that “cuddles and kisses do not work, but neither does cruelty and abandonment.” Each family must process how they will handle and cope with an addicted family member, with each admission to rehab that may or may not be successful. This is a story that needed to be told, each and every one is of value and importance. **With thanks to HCI Books (Health Communications Inc.) via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.

A book about a mother experience with her daughter’s addiction. Every parents worst nightmare, I thought she aptly navigated the shock of finding out and ‘coming to terms’ with her daughter’s addiction. I did find the structure of the book perhaps less engaging than an account such as A Beautiful Boy, as it seemed to jump back and forth, so I could feel a bit lost at times.

This is one mothers raw journey dealing with her daughters drug addiction. Christine (the mother) shares her & her daughter Natalie's journey. Christine goes through the emotions dealing with drugs- seeking- lying- stealing-overdosing- treatment. Christine also wants to still remember the good her daughter once was and knows she can still get back to one day. Natalie is a gifted poetry writer. Dealing with ongoing active drug addiction & recovery & back again helps them to form a special bond. This book touches on one families struggle with drugs...

This book tells the heart wrenching story of a mother’s journey of raising a young adult who suffers with addiction. The author holds nothing back as she tells the story of her family, both the good times and the hardships. I appreciate the book and am glad I had the opportunity to read it (thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!). While I have very little criticism for this book, I did feel the story jumped around a lot which was hard to follow, and was a bit long and repetitive at times, but for the most part it was a very interesting and engaging read, and at times very hard to put down!

About Natalie is a tough story comprised of a mother’s anecdotes dealing with her daughter’s addiction, interspersed with poems written by her daughter. Also having a family member who struggles with substance abuse disorder, I was intrigued by this book as I always am with this topic. Although I do not share the parent perspective, I can relate to much of what Christine Naman writes.

At first, I was taken back by how unorganized everything felt. We get short stories seemingly in random order with very little theme connecting them to each other. It felt like we were all over the place, moving erratically from one episode to the next.

Once I settled into the pattern, the shock wore off and I was able to admit that I really do like Naman’s writing. Her voice is so authentic and genuine and she does not hold back. She is extremely likable and relatable and I truly enjoyed reading her stories.

What I love about this book is that it creates so much compassion for people and families that are affected by substance abuse disorder. There is no way you could read this and not think twice before you judge someone who you may have previously labeled as a “junkie”. I am very passionate about treating addiction as a disease and having empathy for people who suffer from that disease, and I think this book is very powerful in that regard.

On the other hand, I was often cringing for Christine. I have found a lot of peace and serenity thanks to the group program, Nar-Anon, and my heart really goes out to this family for being caught in the vicious, chaotic cycle. I appreciate that Naman stands by her daughter no matter what and continues to love her, which is exactly what I believe too. But I also know how almost impossible it can be to live with someone in active addiction and it is easy to see the toll it takes on the family. To be clear, this book does not offer advice in how to deal with this disease, but I highly recommend looking up a Nar-Anon group if you are also struggling with a loved one’s addiction. Naman mentions that she and her husband are not “group” people, and it was very hard to hear about all they have had to deal with on their own.

Despite the heaviness of this story, I found it a great book. I was inspired by this mother’s endless love for her daughter and only wish that this family can eventually seek serenity in their own way.

Thank you NetGalley and Health Communications Inc. for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
At first I was reluctant to read this book because I was afraid it would bash legitimate pain medication patients who are not abusing their meds. (I also don't like it when heroin use is lumped in with opioid use because it is not the same as the legitimate pain medication patients). But this book really was not about blaming anyone.
The author really shows how the whole family is affected by one member's addiction. While reading the first half or so, I was really beginning to wonder what was being done about the addiction and how Natalie was scraping enough money together to support her habit and why she wasn't in rehab. So I did get more out of the second half of the book after rehab was discussed.
I can't imagine how difficult it is to watch a loved one, especially a daughter, live with addiction and not know what to do to help them.

The emotional heartbreaking journey Christine goes through with her daughter Natalie.

You can feel the pain Christine and her family go through once they discovered Natalie is an addict.

Christine shares they struggle and anxiety any good mother goes through. Is she coming back, what time, is she safe, will this be the last time we see her.

The heartbreaking part is seeing Natalie struggle and knowing you cannot help her. Until she has hit rock bottom. Then as a family you and doctors do and try anything to help your loved one.

Thank you Christine and Natalie for sharing your painful journey with us all. We all just need to take it a day at a time and keep our faith.