All Fall Down
Jennifer Weiner
2014, 381 pages
Fiction
Sitting in her daughter’s pediatrician’s waiting area, Allison Weiss is reading a quiz in a magazine entitled “Has your drinking or drug use become a problem?” Some of her answers make her stop and think about the Vicodin and Percocet she’s taking. They are, after all, prescription medications. So what if she takes an extra dose every now and then?
Allison appears to be living the dream – she has a handsome husband, an adorable daughter, a job she loves and a big house in the suburbs. The plan was to be a stay-at-home mom. When her husband’s job is downgraded and a book deal falls through, Allison is approached to write a blog full time on marriage and motherhood. How could she say no? When her husband realizes she makes more money for her blog than he does as a reporter, their marriage becomes strained. Although their daughter is beautiful and sweet, she is also hyper-sensitive and the day-to-day parenting can be stressful. Her father, recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, is a real challenge to care for and her mother may not be up to the task. Going in all directions and trying to deal with a job that should be 40 hours but is more like 60, so what if the pills take the edge off and help her function?
Forced by mounting problems she enters rehab, but will she stay? After all, she’s not an addict, but her mind keeps going back to that quiz.
Kathy Dill
Concord Public Library
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