Jessica Guerrieri’s Novel Characters Are Familiar With Alcoholism. So Is Their Author.

Content Warning: This episode discusses substance abuse, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and sexual assault. Book club members who knock back a few bottles of wine are in for some soul searching if Jessica Guerrieri’s novels are picked for the group discussion. That’s because her books, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea and the newly released Both Can Be True, both feature characters struggling with alcoholism. It’s a topic Jessica has done her research on. She’s been sober for 12 years and tells us about the drinking, the family intervention that she didn’t even understand was an intervention, and the frank discussion her husband had with her about their future and the idea of having kids. Jessica also talks about her struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder, her multiple experiences as a victim of sexual assault (no graphic language included), and a relapse with THC. It’s an honest discussion of the inter-connectedness of mental health conditions and how clear-eyed determination and honesty can go a long way.