The Heart of Recovery (A book review)

As a Revell Reads Blogger, I was given the opportunity to read and review The Heart of Recovery: How Compassion and Community Offer Hope in the Wake of Addiction by Deborah and David Beddoe. What a great resource. This is one for churches, families, friends, and those who are struggling. Deborah and David share their journey through addiction and recovery. Theirs was a long journey with much heartache, but much hard earned wisdom and knowledge that they share in this book.

 

This is a book that weaves Deborah and David’s journey from each of their perspectives, along with much useful information for the reader who may be walking with someone struggling. David’s addiction is one that is much more common than one might think because the habit is supported and fed into my the medical community unknowingly. He became addicted to pain killers. His life was one of keeping up with ministry and life while trying to sustain his habit. I appreciated his honesty and being able to get into the heart and head of the one who struggled with the addiction. I also appreciated that Deborah’s story is included, and how honest she is about the struggle of walking with someone who relapsed a few times and her emotions and struggles. They take you inside their story, but also into the world of addiction and recovery with all its challenges but also great resources for  people walking along families and individuals and how to support them in their recovery.

We are lost unless we can recover compassion, without which we will never understand charity. We must find, once more, community, a sense of family, of belonging to each other. -L’Engle

I highly recommend this book for anyone in leadership who will be the frontline of safety that a family might come to, but also for family and friends who may be walking with someone who is struggling. There is hope and help available. This book is a encouragement for both. I was challenged in a few areas of how to walk with some my friends in recovery better, but also given better information and ideas on how to love and help both the addict and their family. This book was an encouragement and reminder of the significance of community and the deep need for it to be healthy and loving, not just for the addict, but for all.

**I received a copy in return for an honest review.

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