A JOURNEY TO THE EDGE OF THE SOUL

McCuaig emphasizes the interconnection between mental health and alcoholism in her memoir.

A self-described “well-cultured, middle-class woman from small-town Nova Scotia,” McCuaig, was socially active during her college years at Acadia University, but she “found it hard to transition to university life.” She describes how, over time, “One beer turned [into] 12, one bottle turned into three” as she developed an “incredibly high tolerance to alcohol.” Her addiction not only isolated her from her family and friends, but fueled a mental health crisis plagued with depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. The narrative mostly eschews detailing McCuaig’s early life and focuses on her path toward recovery. She emphasizes that recovery doesn’t follow a linear progression; it’s full of halts and restarts. The memoir begins in 2009 when the author first recognized alcohol’s impact on her personal relationships. Between then and 2014, when she entered detox for the third time, she was on a “soul-searching journey” that forced her to confront her inner demons. Rejecting a universal approach to recovery, she instead notes the combination of practices that helped her, hoping to provide inspiration for others battling addiction. These range from breathing techniques to simply going out in nature with her dog, Shiloh. At times harrowing in its descriptions of McCuaig’s inner turmoil, the book consistently points to its central message of healing and self-empowerment. A genre-defying work, it blends its deeply personal narrative with poetry and journal entries written during her nadirs. In a dark parody of “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas,” for example, McCuaig’s “Twisted Christmas” highlights her condition with lines like “You opened the cork of your third bottle of four, / And hoped it would be a mighty good pour.” At less than 70 pages, this is an accessible, concise look into the dark corners of addiction.

A poignant, engaging, and hopeful record of recovery.