UNCORKED

Stephens always liked to have fun. When the drinks were poured or the shots thrown back, she was always game to go one more round. But at the age of 45, after what should have been a casual afternoon with a friend turned into yet another binge-drinking episode, she finally realized something had to change. Her problematic drinking was taking a toll on her relationships with her husband, her young children, and her health (“I wanted to take care of myself and feel self-respect instead of self-loathing”). Although she was scared, Stephens called her only sober friend, who encouraged her to pursue Alcoholics Anonymous. The memoir chronicles not only the author’s odyssey working on the 12 steps, but also the many difficult conversations she had with friends and family as she shared her sobriety news with them. Many of these interactions were fraught, especially those involving her heavy-drinking friends and relatives. Although her inner monologue in these moments sometimes reads more like therapy language than spontaneous reflections, her honesty remains compelling. Stephens often thinks of her drinking self as “Fun Mary” and her new persona as “Sober Mary,” a framework that helps her navigate her sobriety struggles and engages readers. The engrossing book switches between the author’s present-day grappling with her drinking and flashbacks to past instances of regrettable behavior brought on by alcohol use. The memoir recounts her eventual acceptance that her drinking problem was related to the chronic pain caused by a serious accident in college. She realized that the mishap could no longer be shrugged off as the result of typical college hijinks. Stephens’ insights into her alcoholism as she worked on the 12 steps are illuminating and feature wisdom that may be helpful to others in a similar situation.