Dark Wine Waters' by Fran Simone Book Review and Book Tour

Publisher: Central Recovery Press (July 15, 2014) Category: Non-fiction, Memoir, Substance Abuse, Codependency ISBN: 978-1-937612-64-1 Tour Date: June/July, 2015 Available in: Print & ebook, 224 Pages

 The dynamics of codependency are illuminated in this heartbreaking story of a marriage comprised by a husband’s addiction to alcohol. Through the eyes of love clouded by denial, Fran saw the danger signs but ignored them. Her husband, Terry, was accomplished, romantic, and good-natured. A newly divorced single parent, Fran was ready for love. She recounts the joys and sorrows of their relationship, including Terry’s attempts to control his drinking, her attempts to control him, his death, and her subsequent recovery.

Praise for Dark Wine Waters' by Fran Simone:

"Dark Wine Waters goes way beyond the plethora of recovery books. It is a beautifully written memoir, with its charming water motif throughout, and it so clearly offers everyone a way to continue, to be happy, despite whatever happens. In this, the author has handed all of us a true gift."-Cat Pleska, president of Mountain State Press and author, Riding on Comets (forthcoming, April, 2015) 

"Brutally frank and fearless in its honesty, Fran Simone's book is a gift for those who love or have loved alcoholics or addicts. She tells the story of how she jumped into a relationship with a man she never imagined would have the disease of alcoholism. She simply had no reference for such an illness and missed all the clues. Once in love and married, she struggled to keep their life together, admitting she made every mistake possible. This book boldly explains how alcoholism seduces and corrupts the most innocent of people, both the drinker and the ones who love them. Nicely written and well crafted, Simone's memoir will appeal to those who enjoy a human interest and love story. But more importantly, it is for those caught in the darkness of loving someone with this disease and how they can find joy and hope and a better way to live through recovery."- L. Farwell, Amazon Reviewer

 "Fran Simone has written an intimate, deeply honest, and absorbing memoir that clearly shows the four stages of alcoholism through the years of her marriage to Terry. When she begins writing their story and the narrative starts to take shape, she finds "the courage to admit my faults, face my fears, and forgive my husband and myself." Her honesty is compelling. I particularly like the way the author organizes her story, dividing the book into four parts, each opening with an epigraph of the disease stage. Part 1, for example, opens with "The addict has a 'wow' experience and begins to form a relationship with the drug. Family members may observe subtle changes in personality, and a formidable barrier to communication appears: denial." I leave the rest for you to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a very well told narrative that intimately shares the lives of two very human people ensnared in the full throes of the disease of alcoholism."-Mary Jo Doig, Story Circle Book Reviews

 "I was absorbed in this book from the very first page. The author takes us on her journey through life with an alcoholic from the moment she falls in love with him through the inevitable sad conclusion, yet gives those of us in this struggle hope for recovery. This book is written with the honesty that can only come from the experience of living those highs and lows. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, whether you are just looking for an engagingly candid memoir or you are looking for clues to learn to cope when and if you've found yourself in a similar situation."- Peggy E. Gunter, Amazom Reviewer

About Fran Simone:Fran Simone, Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus from Marshall University in West Virginia. She is the former director of the WV Writing Project, a statewide affiliate of the National Writing Project, University of California at Berkeley. Her doctorate is from Duke University. Her essays have appeared in The Voice and The Quarterly of the National Writing Project, the Charleston Gazette, Story Circle Network journal and anthology. Her blog posts have appeared online in Hazelden/Betty Ford. She is a regular contributor to The Addiction Blog and to the Psychology Today blog. She is a member of Story Circle Network, the National Association of Memoir Writers and West Virginia Writers, Inc. She conducts workshops on writing and speaks on addiction and recovery. Honors: Featured author of the month, National Memoir Association, January, 2015. Website: www.darkwinewaters.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darkwinewaters

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Teddy Rose Book Reviews June 5 Spotlight & Giveaway Let's Get BOOKED! June 8 Excerpt & Giveaway Inspire to Read June 10 Excerpt A place in the spotlight June 11 Interview, Excerpt, & Giveaway Pomegranate Radio June 19 Podcast Review Indie Review Behind the Scenes June 19 Live Interview 6 PM cst What U Talking Bout Willis? June 22 Review & Giveaway Teddy Rose Book Reviews June 25 Review Rockin' Book Reviews July 15 Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway Deal Sharing Aunt July 22 Review I'd Rather Be At The Beach July 28 Review & Giveaway Create With Joy July 31 Review


My review, "Dark Wine Waters" is a very hard book to read because it is all true. Fran Simone shares her life with us and we are pulled into it. She tells about her story and how loving someone with an addition is also bringing you down. The author writes about how at first she tried to deny any of it even though she knew it was true. She shares the  way that she also thought that she would be able to fix their problem and then failed. Anyone who is facing a problem with any kind of addition should read this book. It will help them face their fears. I give this book a 4/5. I was given this book for the purpose of a  review and all opinions are my own.