Honest Woman recounts how one woman did just that. Her personal stories describe the journey she took as two decades of drinking and despair gave way to a richly rewarding sober life. Kelly’s demons did not go quietly when she put the bottle down. Loneliness, anxiety, distrust of others—they were all still there. This memoir tells how she has learned to be with those demons and not drink, to let go of the jealous dramas of the past and embrace a new life of peace. Along the way, Kelly reinvents herself, becoming a visual artist, starting a successful business, and developing deep friendships and a satisfying spiritual life. At the same time, she faces the challenges of emotional eating and her sober ambivalence about sexual relationships. This book offers hope to those who cannot imagine a life without alcohol by someone who has recreated hers. “Jill Kelly writes with raw authenticity about some of life’s most delicate issues, weaving a highly personal account with universal overtones. I am profoundly grateful for her articulation of her journey.” —Christina Baldwin, author of Life’s Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Practice and Storycatcher: Making Sense of our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story (www.peerspirit.com) “Jill Kelly’s story is a courageous message of recovering a life that had been all but destroyed by alcohol. She relays a great deal of hope for any woman seeking long-term recovery from addiction.” —Mary Moore, BA, CDP, Lead Counselor for Women’s Addiction Program, Northwest Recovery Services “This story is an extraordinary and gallant fight out of self-destructive patterns into a life of fulfilling relationships and artistic development that is free from alcohol and the ghosts of the past. A great read!” —Marilyn J. Sorensen, PhD, author of Breaking the Chain of Low Self-Esteem [email protected]

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