All Fall Down

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

She dreams of a fairy tale ending. Allison Weiss marries David believing that contentment and wedded bliss will follow. He has a successful career as an award-winning journalist, they are doting parents to their endearing, precocious daughter Ellie, and their beautiful suburban home is a showcase. But slowly that idyllic life is eroding and slipping away. David's job has taken a back seat to Allison's budding career as a writer. She is the author of a successful blog that centers on hot topics women crave to read. This unwelcome role as the major breadwinner for the family overwhelms her. Ellie's recent erratic and demanding behavior is a cause for concern. Allison's once distinguished father suffers from Alzheimer's disease while her helpless mother stands by, and the spacious ostentatious house certainly isn't a warm and welcoming home. A bright and promising future is vanishing before her eyes, and Allison knows only one way to take away the pain.

Pills.

If you are a fan of Jennifer Weiner's books, you know she often interjects wry humor in her stories while exploring serious topics. This novel is no exception. The main character manages to find a bit of levity in her strife, struggling to maintain  normalcy in a life that is crumbling around her. But the author also departs from her usual path of humorous storytelling, by taking a serious look at an all too truth that exists today; the fact that addiction to painkillers, especially by women, has increased in the last few years and threatens the stability and happiness of many families. Obviously the author has done her research and feels strongly about this subject matter. She created a character who is strong and loyal to all those she loves, but misguided in her attempts to deal with deep-seated feelings that cloud her ability to function. Instead she turns to a secret, expensive, and destructive habit to dull the torment and heartache of reality. She is entering the dangerous world of narcotics, "like a warm, fuzzy comforter, a layer of defense between me and the world".

Follow one woman's emotional journey as she reclaims her life from the misery and hopelessness of drug addiction. As she confronts demons from painful childhood memories, she learns she isn't the only one in her family with a shameful secret. Harsh truths can't be ignored. With an inner strength and the belief that healing is possible one day at a time, Allison finds a thread of hope. Love and redemption are hers for the taking if only she has the courage to take the next step on the winding road to recovery.