I have been eagerly anticipating Jessica Hoppe’s book for a while and it did not dissapoint. We jump around fragmented storyline similar to a remembrance and storytelling that many people with alcoholism may be familiar with. It’s brilliant in its execution and it’s filled with so much history about AA and why it might be salvation at the beginning but stifling at the end because it really wasn’t meant for people of color. Brilliant story.

This raw memoir explores the author's struggles with alcohol addiction. The unique aspect of this memoir is her discussion of the larger cultural forces surrounding addiction and recovery. The author explains that in the United States, the understanding and treatment of alcohol addiction centers Anglo-American culture. In recovery spaces, when she tried to raise this issue, she felt unheard. That seems to be the spark for this memoir.

The chapter about the history of Honduras, and imperialist forces' use of alcohol to subjugate the local population into working grueling conditions, was one of the strongest. The discussion of the author's own extended family's struggles with alcohol added nuance to her own sobriety journey.

I wish the author had been more descriptive about her success in sobriety. She glossed over discussions of cognitive behavioral therapy, and I would have liked her to talk more about how that helped her.

Overall a powerful read on the topic of addiction.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn't terrible, but there are definitely better memoirs about struggling with addiction.
Thanks to #netgalley and #flatironbooks for this #arc of #firstinthefamily in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting and engaging personal story on an important and timely topic. (I listened to the audio and wish I'd opted for print.)

A very personal story, showing us her perspective of intergenerational trauma, addiction, family expectations and how to navigate in a biased world.
We learn about a biased world, struggles of addiction, codependency and learning how to live life.
Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The parts of this book that focus on White supremacy and AA were interesting and impactful. This memoir meandered more than I personally like. Yet, the author makes an excellent case for the importance of varied views of recovery and I hope others will find this book useful as the resource she seems to intend it to be.

First in the Family was an excellent memoir. I loved her perspective of intergenerational trauma, addiction, managing familial expectations, and working in a biased world.

Me 🤝🏼 Addiction memoirs.

In First in the Family, Hoppe reflects upon her own personal experience with addiction, how it affects Latinx families differently and how it is viewed differently within the Latino community, and how addiction research and narratives often gloss over the experience of people of color. She also examines cultural assimilation for the sake of The American Dream, the role oppression plays in addiction, and her own family's generational trauma. It’s an average size book—272 pages—that packs a punch.

I am blown away by Hoppe’s intimate storytelling and shattering honesty. With clear, straightforward prose, Hoppe investigates the history of abuse and addiction in her family. It is a rich account of one Latina woman’s experience with substance abuse and proves to be a captivating story of hope and redemption.

Beautiful writing and a very personal story, probably will be most interesting to people struggling with addiction and co-dependency. A peek into the Latinx perspective and experience.

I really loved this book and its investigation of addiction as well as the way the author both embraces and thinks critically about traditional 12 step programs like AA. The writing is sharp and vivid and the narrative truly demands our attention.