Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption [Hardcover]

William Cope Moyers (Author), Katherine Ketcham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 21, 2006

From rock bottom to recovery—the son of veteran broadcaster Bill Moyers chronicles his life- shattering battle with addiction and the hard-won fight for recovery

William Cope Moyers has come a long, long way. In 1994, he lay on the floor of an Atlanta crack house. His father had put together a search party. His worried family waited at home where Moyers had left them when he embarked on yet another binge. From that lowly, drug-hazed night, Moyers went on to become an executive at the Hazelden Foundation and travels far and wide to talk about addiction and treatment.

Broken tells the story of what happened between then and now—from growing up the privileged son of Bill Moyers to his descent into alcoholism and drug addiction, his numerous stabs at getting clean, his many relapses, and how he managed to survive. Harrowing and wrenching, Broken paints a picture of a man with every advantage who nonetheless found himself spiraling into a dark and life-threatening abyss. But unlike other memoirs of its kind, Broken emerges into the clear light of Moyers’s recovery as he dedicates his life to changing the politics of addiction. Beautifully written with a deep underlying spirituality, this is a missive of hope for the scores of Americans struggling with addiction—and an honest and inspiring account that proves the spiritual insight that we are strongest at the broken places.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The prodigal son of Bill Moyers, the exemplary broadcast journalist, wrecked a bright career at CNN and deserted his family in 1994, hitting bottom as a "thirty-five-year-old crack addict." The lurid appeal of his story hinges largely on Moyers's munificent, even saintly father, and the train-wreck spectacle of his son's fall from grace. Moyers conveys with black humor the rapturous allure of substance abuse: "cocaine owned me, body and soul," he writes. It lures him back even after stints in rehab, brushes with death and lucky breaks. As his habit skids out of control, Moyers dodges punishment with smug hauteur. He enjoys plum reporting assignments as a fortunate son and plays the role of "solid, sincere recovering alcoholic," while persisting in his unrepentant behavior. Moyers hits his stride in evocations of his muddled, though quasi-methodical, mindset: the vertiginous pull of addiction, the powerful delusions of denial and the double-edged sword of legacy, which proves a potent enabler. His father, who addresses him in heartfelt letters excerpted at length, looms throughout as both reproving shadow and divine light. Photos. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"William Cope Moyers's lucid, measured tale of his own plunge into crack-addled hell [is] frightening in its very realism.
-USA Today

"A memoir of a terrible disease and one man's spiritual journey through it . . . that should be read by those who have friends or family members caught in addiction."
The Indianapolis Star --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult (September 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670037893
• ISBN-13: 978-0670037896
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Valuable Recovery Read, October 17, 2006

By 

Alan Braun (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption (Hardcover)

Broken is outstanding! I am an alum of Hazelden, sober 22 years, and have worked as an adolescent chemical dependency counselor. This book is the best description of addiction, treatment, relapse and recovery that I have come across. It is well written and well documented from the author's journals and correspondence from his father.

I currently work with five sober high schools in Minnesota for chemically dependent kids in recovery. I have purchased a copy for each of the schools. Last night I was at a parent meeting at one of the schools and recommended it to the parents. I was asked if it was for the parents or the students. It is for both. It could be a wonderful opportunity for students and families to open new avenues of communication and understanding.

The descriptions of the cravings, urges and triggers for relapse are graphic. My only concern is that they might be difficult for a newcomer with fragile sobriety. For all others, this book is a must read. It is particularly valuable for its depiction of spiritual growth and coming to terms with a higher power.

I have never before reviewed a book but the author's call to action made it necessary for me to do so.

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I want to live.", December 28, 2006

By 

Erik Olson "Seeker Reviews" (Ridgefield, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption (Hardcover)

Addiction scares and fascinates me. My family's battle with alcoholism was so traumatic that I never touched booze until I was 36. This dysfunction made me want to understand how addiction strikes and recovery works, especially within a familial context. Indeed, it was a major reason I entered seminary and earned an MA in Family Ministry. After a cursory glance through "Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption," I knew I'd found a memoir on the subject that had meat. Finishing it only confirmed my initial impression. This is one of the most honest, well-written, and informative accounts of addiction and recovery that I've ever read.

William Cope Moyers had everything. A loving family, wealth, talent - you name it. But these advantages paled before his crippling Achilles' heel: himself. Whether it was the pressure to live up to his father's name, some childhood trauma, a nagging sense of insignificance, or a hole inside his soul, William was unable to "cope" with reality. He began using alcohol, moved on to cocaine, and finally forged a twisted love affair with crack. His binges cost him lucrative and prestigious jobs, destroyed his first marriage, and in the end almost killed him. After a number of relapses he finally hit bottom, got sober, and is now working to help other addicts.

At times, reading "Broken" was like watching a slow-motion train wreck. It was heartbreaking to see Mr. Moyers climb out of the gutter, get things "together," and then throw it all away on a crack binge. He left a lot of destruction in his wake, since it took many devastating falls before he forsook pride and dishonesty for sobriety. If he hadn't had the treatment options that a wealthy and influential father could get him (along with his family's patience and tough love), he'd probably be dead by now. Of course, no story like this one is a done deal, because the possibility exists that Mr. Moyers could relapse. Other authors of similar memoirs ("Fortunate Son," by Lewis B. Puller Jr. comes to mind) have been subsequently consumed by their inner demons. With that in mind, I pray that Mr. Moyers will remain sober one day at a time for the rest of his life.

At any rate, the most powerful aspect of this book (aside from the author's honesty) is Mr. Moyers' call for a change of perspective towards addicts and addiction. The author states that addicts are often labeled as morally corrupt or mentally weak individuals, and are treated accordingly. Health plans don't fund the intense treatment that they need, employers fire them without mercy, and churches cast them out as unrepentant sinners. I agree with Mr. Moyers that it's time for everyone to stop ostracizing addicts and start helping them to heal. I hope that "Broken" will aid with this shift, and I commend Mr. Moyers for bravely forsaking anonymity to encourage other broken individuals and their loved ones with his story.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption, October 11, 2006

By 

Shelagh "Shelagh" (Midwest, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption (Hardcover)

Thank you so much, William, for sharing your story. It takes enormous courage to ascend out of the nightmare of addiction, and further courage to tell that story! You do an immense service to the many millions who struggle with this disease, both as addicts and alcoholics themselves, but also for the many others who love them and want to do the right thing.

It was very interesting to hear something of how Hazelden works. I've been ordering books from them for years, and often wondered what their treatment program is like. You give a fascinating insight into that, as well as into your own mindset as you struggled with the program and recovery.

Thank you for sharing the hope and strength to be had from knowing treatment works and recovery does happen! And that the stigma that often stifles people's efforts to get help is sometimes even worse than the disease itself. You are a tremendous beacon in the darkness here. You have turned your liabilities into assets and married them to the wonderful gift of communication and writing that you already had. We are all beneficiaries.

The honesty and hope that your book offers is so needed in these dark times!

Sincerely,
Shelagh Cosgrove, Columbus, Ohio