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Motherhood, Sobriety & Writing Complex Women in Book Club Fiction w/ Jessica Guerrieri (E235)
Description
In today’s episode, I am chatting with Jessica Guerrieri, an award-winning novelist and essayist whose literary fiction explores the complexities of motherhood, identity, family, and the ways our past continues to shape us. She is the author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, winner of the 2023 Maurice Prize for Fiction, and her newest novel, Both Can Be True. Beyond her fiction, Jessica is a passionate voice in essays on sobriety and mental health communities. Her book flight includes books that explore alcoholism and addiction.
Episode Highlights:
- How writing became a form of escapism for Jessica as a new mom and in early sobriety
- Giving ourselves permission to have an identity outside of motherhood
- Sobriety, identity, and figuring out what comes next in recovery
- How alcohol can numb both the difficult and joyful parts of life
- Why reaching for our phones and doomscrolling doesn't actually give us the recharge we're looking for
- Writing complex women and allowing two conflicting truths to exist at once
- Why Jessica wants to write book club fiction that creates feelings, opinions, and conversations
- The intimacy of reading and how books allow us to experience someone else's life from the safety of our own
- A book flight exploring alcoholism, addiction, motherhood, and family dynamics
Connect with Jessica:
Some links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.
Books and authors mentioned in the episode:
- Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
- Nothing Hurt and Everything Was Beautiful by Ben Reeves
Book Flight
- Both Can Be True by Jessica Guerrieri
- The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff (also The Burning Side)
- The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett
The BFF Book Club is becoming a family affair! ❤️ This our FREE virtual book club, where we read together each month and have live author chats.
Each Family Book Flight pairs our BFF Book Club pick with:
- One chapter book for growing readers
- One picture book for our littlest readers
- A few family conversation starters + a simple activity
Three books. One common theme.
→ Join us here: https://bookishflights.kit.com/bfffamily
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