Thank you for allowing me to listen to this on audio. I did enjoy listening to this at the time, but decided not to recommend it on my page because it kind of glorified drugs in my opinion. The author was so very lucky to have gotten out of that lifestyle and I’m very proud of her that she was able to, but I’ve seen so so many lives destroyed by it (as did she in this story) that to write about coming out the other side of it, I just didn’t feel comfortable with the story. I think at some point she also attributed help from god or a higher power, which is so very condescending to those who died like why didn’t god answer THEIR mothers prayers? What makes you so special? She sounds like she was a low key intellectual the whole time who has her words to fall back onto, her education. This isn’t true for a lot of addicts. I don’t know why but something felt off to me and I just didn’t want to post about this. I believe? The author narrated it herself. The story was well written, I just was not able to post about it. Something said no. I was overall left with a feeling like this isn’t really a success story.

I always like to read memoirs of people who have been through things that I cannot comprehend nor understand. Trish vividly portrays her life as an addict in the 1970's as a young adult. Trish depicts scary scenarios, and the things that she and her "friends" did to score drugs. But you can tell in reading this book that Trish is smart, insightful, and just needs a "leg up" to get out of her circle of destruction. Every minute detail of Trish's harrowing descent into complete oblivion and almost death is described. Not until Trish winds up in prison is she able to turn her life around, and her journey is quite inspiring. Today she is a completely different person and even a college professor.

I thank Trish for sharing her story with us with such candor and eloquence. I would imagine this would be a rare feat, as most addicts such as Trish was in the 1970s would not be willing, nor able to share their story.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a very good job.

Special thank you to the author, Netgalley, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The Hummingbird Kiss: My Life as an Addict in the 1970s" is a poignant memoir by Trish MacEnulty that offers a raw and honest account of her harrowing journey through drug addiction.

Trish bares her soul as she recounts her tumultuous life, from bidding farewell to her husband in a courthouse to enduring the relentless cycle of addiction. Her story is marked by painful withdrawals, desperate acts of theft to fuel her addiction, and periods of incarceration. Along the way, she grapples with the loss of friends and attempts at rehabilitation, all while grappling with a profound lack of self-love that drives her self-destructive behaviour.

Narrated in the author's own voice, the audiobook adds an additional layer of depth to Trish's compelling narrative. Through her words, listeners are transported into the heart of her experiences, feeling the highs of drug-induced euphoria and the crushing weight of their consequences.

"The Hummingbird Kiss" is a raw and emotional account that vividly captures the realities of addiction in the 1970s. Trish's story serves as a stark reminder of the destructive power of substance abuse, yet also offers a glimmer of hope as she navigates her journey towards recovery.
Overall, this memoir is a powerful testament to resilience, redemption, and the human capacity for healing. Trish's candid storytelling and unwavering honesty make for a compelling read that will leave a lasting impact on readers.

I sincerely thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

The Hummingbird Kiss is the account ofTrish MacEnulty. Trish has been to hell and back and back again due to drug addiction. She has beautifully and honestly written about her most difficult and young life in this memoir. 


Bottom line, Trish is dope sick. You first first meet Trish sending her husband off to jail in the courthouse. Then her story tragically follows her through the constant highs and lows of severe addiction. This life includes painful withdrawals, the hustles of robberies to obtain the next fix and a prison sentence. She experiences friends lost and multiple stints in rehab. Trish will desperately take anything that’ll help her escape her own self.
The narrator has the perfect voice and timbre so listeners become fully immersed in the depths of her despair. Hear the sad gritty tale of a girl with keen intelligence yet a lack of love for herself that leads to self destruction.
As I listened through the ears of a mother, I pulled for Trish all along the way and felt hurt for the child.. After reading and viewing accounts of folks becoming addicted in books and documentaries and now this, I realised how easily any one of us could fall into that pit of despair and many many don’t make it back out. She describes in detail the wonderful highs and the euphoric feelings from the drugs , and then the painful costs later on.
This girl’s life, unlike so many others has a happier ending as Trish breaks free of addiction finally at the age of 25 in time for a new life to begin. She goes on to become a successful professor and author.
I plan to research and learn more about this strong woman.

I picked this audiobook up because I had a long drive ahead of me, but wow did it make me not want to STOP driving. From the moment the memoir started, I was engrossed in MacEnulty's honest and incredibly written telling of her life. I haven't had the opportunity to read a lot of memoirs from this time period, let alone a recollection of someone struggling with addiction. However, I have always been drawn to these topics because I've had many close to me struggle on one level or another, and drug addiction is still very prominent in the world today. I can easily say you will devour this story whether you're reading a physical copy or listening. It's honest and chilling, it's sad and endearing, it's funny and terrifying, and so much more. One of my favorite parts of these stories is to hear how the individual has overcome the addiction, and continued to make a life for themselves outside of their "monster". I give MacEnulty so much credit for stepping up and sharing her story as I can only imagine it takes a lot of courage. I will definitely be recommending this to fellow readers, and hope to see more from MacEnulty down the road.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt it was well written, had a good flow, and was easy to follow. Audio was good, reader was great.

This read like a modern addiction and recovery story. Which should be mind-boggling, seeing as how this memoir is set in the 1970's. I know there are better treatment options out there now, but too many people slip through the healthcare cracks are are left with AA/NA or just figuring it out themselves. We can do better, right?

The writing itself is clear and engaging; the author did a great job telling her story with very little bias, which I'm sure was difficult. Overall, this is a solid book to read if you want a look at what living with addiction looks like-- the ups and the downs. Rated 4.5/5.

Received this audiobook through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very insightful seeing the world Trish lived in, and watch her grow as a person as she struggled through her drug fueled early years.

Amazing account and insight into the life of an addict.
Very honest and detailed which totally drew you into her life.
Heartbreaking to think how much addiction totally takes over your liked.
Amazing ending with a positive outcome thankfully.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC audio in return for an honest review

This audiobook is interesting and overall well done. The memoir describes the author's life as an addict in the 70s and the painful experiences it took to overcome the addiction. Narration was good and it was easy enough to follow. I would recommend this audiobook to people who enjoy memoirs about personal journeys through addiction. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to listen to and review this audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial Audio for the audiobook version of this book. I am not affilated in any way with the author- publisher- or any entities associated with this book. I am not compensated in any way for my review. Everything I write is of my own personal thoughts- feelings- and opinions.

It is my understanding that this book was first published on July 4th, 2021. Its also my understanding that the audiobook version was released November 12th, 2023.
I really enjoyed this book. Trish does an amazing job of walking the reader through her life and how she became addicted to drugs. Trish is brutally honest of her story of being a junkie. This is a great success on Trish going from a raging drug addicted young woman to cleaning her life up and getting sober.

The Hummingbird Kiss by Trish MacEnulty is a fascinating look inside the mind and life of a heroin addict. It's also a memoir of the 1970's, when heroin users were the "coolest of the cool".

The book begins on the day Trish's husband is sentenced to 10 years in prison. That's also the day Trish discovers that she has acquired a serious drug habit. She also learns that she can score heroin for herself, and the downward spiral begins.

The book chronicles the horror of an addict's life and the lengths she will go to when she needs money to score. It also gives unique insight into drug rehabs, county jails, and state prisons.

I found The Hummingbird Kiss to be interesting and informative. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys memoirs. I would especially recommend it to those of us around Trish's age who managed to avoid or escape the lure of hard drugs. I will definitely be reading other titles by this author.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital audio copy of this book from Net Galley.

#TheHummingbirdKiss#TrishMacEnulty#NetGalley

“Heroin drowns your will to live.”

The ‘70s were a time of being young, wild, full of peace and free. It was also a time where drugs plagued many areas. Those seeking to get high hardly could see the addiction that would soon have them in a tight grip. Meet Trish, an 18 year old newly wed full of life and in love with her husband so deep she couldn’t see past his flaws. Her husband was sentenced to a ten year prison sentence for theft and Trish felt the only way to cope with losing him was to get high. The high would ultimately last her almost a decade.

Trish became an addict, addicted to anything she could get her hands on. Her main drug of choice was heroin. She hopped from one place to the next in order to score her next high. She was in and out of numerous treatment facilities, knowing she needed to get clean but didn't have the willpower to do it. Even though Trish’s fellow comrades were overdosing and dying.

Trish was very open in this memoir. She knows she did not live an idyllic life, but she was a full blown addict so it did not matter. Her only thoughts were where to get the next fix, and it was by any means necessary.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to rate and review this book. All opinions are my own.

I've always been fascinated by how and why people get addicted to drugs and found Trish's account of her years chasing that high really interesting and realistic. I was in my late teens-early 20's during the 1960s and 70s so we're probably around the same age but she looks much better. I could picture the free-wheeling lifestyle she describes which seems so seductive but spells disaster. Her struggles to get clean are heartbreaking and I imagine very frustrating to those who love her. I was happy to find that she is clean and sober with a successful career as a writer and professor

The audiobook is narrated by Kerri Van Kirk and she does an excellent job. It's how I imagine the book would sound if I read it out loud. My only complaint is that there are certain sections with a lot of "he said", "I said" repetition and I'm not sure it was necessary to say those words since it was pretty obvious who was speaking.

Thank you to Prism Light Press via Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own. This book was published in 2021 but the audiobook was just released in November 2023.

The Hummingbird Kiss is a memoir by Trish, a drug addict. She speaks freely and openly about her history and roller-coaster beginning of adult life with drug use. She gets very descriptive and honest about the act of using drugs and the methods she used to be able to obtain them.

This was my first audio book, so I don't have anything to compare this to in the sense of audio books.

Thank you to Netgalley, Trish MacEnulty, and the publishers for this free audio book. This review is 100% my own and honest review.

I am a person who knows a thing or two about addiction, having lived through it with loved one. I did not find MacEnulty's book to be very original. Of course, it is her story and she tells it as it happened, but I didn't find her narrative to be compelling as are others written by those in recovery. It almost seemed like she wanted to shock her readers, but there is no shock element left in addiction.

I was a teenager in the 70s and know people who were addicted. It was different than it is now, of course, but addiction is addiction. I kept waiting for something in the book to get to me, but it didn't.

I was excited to listen to this book as I have been doing a lot with audiobooks lately. I had a bit of a hard time with it. The narrator's voice is beautiful and soothing, and that really does not feel like a good fit for the content. I kept wanting someone "grittier" to get the story across. I got a bit lost in the lilt of the reader's voice and missed parts of the story.

This audiobook gave an insight to a woman’s path into and through drug addiction. It wasn’t gripping, but it was interesting. I’m not sure what audience it would appeal to, maybe someone like myself who is curious about how someone can end up a junkie.

The Hummingbird Kiss: My Life as an Addict in the 1970s’ written by Trish MacEnulty, is a memoir about addiction, sorrow and overcoming the odds.

MacEnulty tells her powerful story over the years as she rides the extreme highs and lows of the “hummingbird kiss” (the needle of heroin being administered). Her story begins in the 1970’s as an 18 year old – married and quickly becoming addicted and seeking out a fix as she comes down off of the highs. She is married a matter of days before her husband is sentenced to a 10 year sentence for stealing stereos and she crashes back at her mothers then travels across the country in search of the highs she has on heroin. While the timeline and locations were confusing to follow, she explains her paths across the United States from California to Florida and Mexico over the course of a few years that lead her to become addicted to heroin and the continual search for the high. Following a stint in prison, herself, and another run in with her addiction, she is able to find the girl she was before the addiction hijacked her life.

MacEnulty provides a very raw and descriptive narrative of her life and what it is like to live through the addiction and the attempts to overcome the addiction. Her story is one of strength and determination – as she challenges her addiction. This is a story that provides hope to others who either themselves are suffering with a drug addiction or for someone who loves someone who is going through such an addiction.

Thank you #NetGalley and #BooksGoSocialAudio for the opportunity to listen to this early audio version in exchange for a review. All opinions and thoughts are those of my own.

I so appreciated listening to Trish MacEnuilty's story of her life as an addict. The details she shares and her honesty are both engaging and challenging. MacEnuilty opens a window into a life I have not experienced but I can relate to. The audio is clear, easy tone to listen to and with a credible voice. Recommended.