Serenity Granted: Accepting Hardship as a Pathway to Peace

by Richard Preston

Overview

We make choices, we cannot choose consequences. Richard Preston was born in Jacksonville, Florida. He introduced himself to alcohol at the tender age of 6. The progressive disease of alcoholism and drug addiction soon crippled his dreams and aspirations. The party would continue for over three decades. Richard captivates as he tells of his darkest moments and how he broke free from the chains of dependency.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780997790603
Publisher:	Serenity Granted, LLC
Publication date:	09/23/2016
Series:	Quiet Strong , #1
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Cynthia Byrd Conner is the daughter of Sherman and Louise Byrd. Recently retired, she was employed by the Department of the Navy, Naval Sea Systems Command, Southeast Regional Maintenance Center. A Management and Program Analyst, she has over 25 years of experience in ship maintenance and repair. A graduate of Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), Cindy completed the Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Supervision and Management.Cindy is a member of the Organization of Black Maritime Graduates, a 501(c)3 organization that, educates, mentors, and provides scholarships for minorities from all over the world, to attend the State University of New York Maritime College. She is also a member of the Florida Writers Association and the Military Writers Society of America.Married to Alton M. Conner for over thirty years, they continue to joyfully strive to fulfill God’s will for their lives. God has blessed them with a daughter, son, son-in-law, and granddaughter. They all reside in the beautiful city of Jacksonville, Florida. You may contact Cindy at Cynthia Byrd Conner, 731 Duval Station Road, Suite 107-155, Jacksonville, FL 32218, or email her at [e-mail]

Hometown:

Hopewell, New Jersey

Date of Birth:

August 5, 1954

Place of Birth:

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Education:

B.A., Pomona College, 1976; Ph.D. in English, Princeton University, 1983

Website:

http://richardpreston.net/

Editorial Reviews

2017-06-20
A man recounts the depths of addiction and the miracles of recovery in this debut memoir. "I had my first drink at the age of six." So begins Preston's account of his long descent into alcoholism and drug dependency. From this first taste of a partially consumed glass of whiskey at a family Christmas party in 1970, Preston was immediately hooked: "It opened my eyes in a way they had never been opened." The book describes the curious coming-of-age moments in the life of a young addict: buying Champale from a diner as a junior high school student, imitating singer Barry White's deep voice in order to pass for an adult; smoking marijuana and drinking malt liquor while waiting for the school bus; and getting an A on a test during his first semester of college while using cocaine, then failing out two semesters later—while using more cocaine. Preston later got a job at an insurance company, had a daughter out of wedlock, discovered crack cocaine, and got arrested. The author encountered the very worst that addiction had to offer during a decadeslong struggle that saw him in and out of jobs, relationships, prison, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers, and involved in all manner of scams. Eventually, he says, he became a person that he could no longer recognize, love, or respect. Despite this, he managed to clean up his life, find peace, and live to tell the tale. Preston is a talented storyteller and a fine writer with an endearing sense of humor and a great memory for detail. The way he writes about drugs, in particular, is compelling—and interestingly, he writes about popular music in much the same way. For instance, he describes the work of the funk-rock band Parliament-Funkadelic thusly: "This stuff was raw like sushi and I craved it more and more." The author manages to accomplish the difficult task of writing about addiction in a lively way, and despite the fact that he confesses to legitimately horrible things, he manages to keep readers on his side. Preston crafts a sympathetic, honest, and satisfying tale of despair and redemption. A thoroughly entertaining and affecting remembrance.

Kirkus Reviews