Are you a memoir junkie? Do you enjoy books in which the
writer overcomes high levels of adversity? Do you enjoy reading about flawed and
relatable people? If you answered yes to any of these questions than I would
strongly recommend Jessica Hendry Nelson’s debut “If Only You People Could
Follow Directions.”
Those aren’t the only things that make this such a great
read. Addiction memoirs are popular with publishers these days. For every great
addiction memoir like “Smashed” and “More, Now, Again” there are dozens that
fall flat. What makes Nelson’s memoir stand out is her unique and engaging
voice. She writes in a way that connects with the reader and makes it easy to
empathize with her situation. This is also a great book for those that may not typically
read non-fiction. Nelson’s writing style is such that it reads more like a
novel and I found that I had to remind myself I was reading a piece of
non-fiction.
Jessica,
her brother Eric, and her mother Susan are the central
figures of the book. Other people in her life drift in an out and impact
her in
different ways. The memoir follows Jessica as she grows up in a
dysfunctional
family with an alcoholic and oftentimes absent father. Addiction, mental
illness, codependency, and drifting apart as we grow up are themes
that are touched on frequently. Her mother holds the family
together but when Jessica goes off to college and her brother's choices
lead to prison, she
also starts to spiral into addiction. The book doesn't follow a typical
chronological progression but is more of a collection of essays based on
her experience and are neatly tied together. After reading the book it
is clear that
the title reflects on the feeling of powerlessness we sometimes have
when it
comes to stopping loved ones from making destructive choices.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
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