"With or Without You": Unsparing Memoir by Domenica Ruta.

The memoir With or Without You is Domenica Ruta's unsparing entry into the tragedy-and-recovery genre.  In this case, the tragedy is growing up with an intense, and at times horribly careless, drug-using mother, and Ruta's own struggle with alcohol as an adult.  The recovery is Ruta's turn to sobriety (and also, it appears, launching her writing career by publishing this memoir).

As a memoir, I found Ruta's story of her childhood and young adulthood to be more sad than inspirational. And while very readable, the book is full of not-nice things. When I described With of Without You to a friend, including a bit that I found particularly disturbing, she told me, "Amy, don't read books like that."  

If you read the book, let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  It might be a good read for book clubs.