Debbie Harpham
ABOUT:
Something was wrong with Peter. Eilene Zimmerman noticed that her ex-husband looked thin, seemed distracted, and was frequently absent from activities with their children. She thought he looked sick and needed to see a doctor. Yet in many ways, Peter also seemed to have it all: a senior partnership at a prominent law firm, a beautiful house by the beach, expensive cars, and other luxuries that came with an affluent life. Although they were divorced, Eilene and Peter had been partners and friends for decades, so, when her calls to Peter were not returned for several days, Eilene went to his house to see if he was OK.
So begins Smacked, a brilliant and moving memoir of Eilene’s shocking discovery, one that sets her on a journey to find out how a man she knew for nearly 30 years became a drug addict, hiding it so well that neither she nor anyone else in his life suspected what was happening. Peter was also addicted to work; the last call he ever made was to dial into a conference call. Eilene is determined to learn all she can about Peter’s hidden life, and also about drug addiction among ambitious, high-achieving professionals like him. Through extensive research and interviews, she presents a picture of drug dependence today in that moneyed, upwardly mobile world. She also embarks on a journey to recreate her life in the wake of loss, both of the person—and the relationship—that profoundly defined the woman she had become.
Purchase your copy here.
PRAISE AND RECOGNITION:
“Heart-wrenching…a chronicle of trying to make sense of a loved one’s struggles with [addiction].” — THE NEW YORK TIMES
“Smacked is an exquisite examination of the repercussions of addiction, as well as the influence of white-collar money and ambition, upon a family. A profoundly absorbing and important book.” — ADRIENNE BRODEUR, AUTHOR OF WILD GAME
“A shattering story of terrible loss, learning, and survival, this is memoir at its most engrossing and most useful.”— BILL CLEGG, AUTHOR OF PORTRAIT OF AN ADDICT AS A YOUNG MAN
AUTHOR VISITS:
Author visits with Eilene Zimmerman are available via NovelNetwork.com.