"I didn't care about HIV, AIDS, or STDs. I just want to get high and ease the pain; they just wanted my money and my body. I just want you to know there are always people out there who do care and will help if you let them."
 |
A Woman's Life at its Hardest:
A Real Dose of Medicine by Alicia Compton Trafford Publishing
book review by P. Hooper
This collection of stories and poems shares the bleak tales of women who have become addicted to drugs. Though it is heartbreaking, the book's purpose is to give others hope and help them see they are not alone. Each chapter tells the story of a woman who has spent some time in prison. These women have dealt with everything from drug addiction, incest, abuse, and rape. Because of their poor choices, they have faced serious consequences, including losing their children to Child Protective Services, being forced into prostitution, and being imprisoned. After each chapter is a poem that goes along with the story. Also sprinkled throughout the book are illustrations that complement the stories and poems.
The women in these stories come from different backgrounds. Some women have been abused by their husbands or family members, like Linda, whose husband put her in the hospital and Christin, who was raped by a cousin. Still other women tell stories of supportive families, like Amber whose father is a sheriff and AJ, a registered nurse with a loving husband. The one thing all these women have in common is drug addiction and intense regret about their choices. Told in the words of the women whose stories these are, this collection is gritty and realistic. They have decided to share their stories to show others that God can help people overcome any obstacle. Their stories are riveting and enlightening.