Customer Reviews

One-Way Ticket: Our Son's Addiction to Heroin

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The first two sentences of "One-Way Ticket" by Rita Lowenthal, are: "At 38, Josh was dead from a heroin overdose. In 1970 at the age of 13, he went from shooting hoops in the suburbs to shooting heroin in the ghetto.

Of course we want to know how? why? when and where? and how does a mother cope with this tragedy?

Rita Lowenthal tells us their story:hers and her son Joshs'. For Rita there was eternal hope that the next drug rehab. would present the magic cure. In her 25 year quest for a solution to Joshes' addiction she learned slowly how the system deals with drug addicts (more and more serious jail sentences). She also learned how impotent she was to enter that entrenched system. In Joshes' own words he tells her: "There is nothing you can do, mom. You can't compete with heroin."

We hear the voice of Josh through his letters from prison and from the streets he haunts. He, like his mother, is smart, funny, and a keen observer of people and places. His encounters in jails, in the family or with his girl friends are brilliantly observed and chronicled.

We get to know these two well--Rita and Josh, through the descriptive writing of their struggles to maintain a loving relationship under impossible circumstances.

I recommend this book highly, not only to those involved with addiction problems, but to all who have a social conscience and worry about our continuation of a failed drug abuse policy.

Eva Menkin, M.A.
Marriage and Family Therapist, Ret.
Santa Barbara, Ca.

One-Way Ticket is the story not only of Josh Lowenthal, but of his courageous mother, Rita. How much easier to leave unasked the painful questions about how someone like Josh, with all the advantages of socio-economic position, rare intelligence and tremendous personal charm, could find himself battling his way through each and every day as a heroin addict. Rita Lownenthal re-lives the confusion, fear, frustration and abiding grief of mothering this wonderful young man who was a full fledged herion addict before he even had a glimpse of life's panoramic choices. Josh was a devoted musician. When I learned of his suicide, I could hear his tired voice saying, "take two." If he could read his mother's amazing tribute to his life of struggle, I know he would join me in saying, "Bravo!"

I knew Josh a little and was interested in knowing more about him, otherwise I would not have read it since I have a stack of unread books I'm trying to get to. But I imagine many readers or potential readers will be drawn to this book as a result of being affected by someone addicted. This review is for you.

I hope this book will help you find peace by making you realize there is little you can do to help an addict and that blaming yourself or ruminating endlessly is not valid or necessary.

Josh's story is a particularly vivid confirmation or example of this reality. Josh was blessed with looks, brains, talent, charisma and opportunity. (This is a good time to mention the book is an interesting read because Josh and the people in his life are very luminous.)

Rita Lowenthal conveyed the sad and prolonged mystery of dealing with a loved one addicted to heroin. I think she knew all along there was nothing much she could do. Josh would find his way out or he would sink. I also think she knew she would never be free or objective or detached from him...even if she invoked some tough love she would be involved to some degree as long as they both lived. We learn that she did not surrender or lose her mind or give up, she just endured. If you are in the group I directed this review towards, you should get the book and read it. It may help you cope.

Rita Lowenthal has written a heart-braking but powerful book about her beloved son Josh's addiction and how it affected her, her husband and Josh's brother as well as other rlatives and friends. She shares her feelings and actions with an amazing ability to write with honesty, humor and purpose.

All parents with an addicted child must read this inciteful book. I read through tearful eyes and by the end I had learned that addiction is not a crime to be punished by being sentenced to prison but rather a disease, an illness to be treated.

I was also helped by the realization that parents who have a child with an addiction or even an other deeply troubled mental problem are not alone. How important it is to understand too that the parents are not to bleame for their child's addiction nor should they feel guilty.

ONE-WAY TICKET is a serious but readable true story that is very helpful to parents in dealing with an extremely difficult problem.
One of my friends who has an addicted son was reluctant to read the book when I sent it to her, but thanked me after she did read it.

With honesty, compassion and humor, Rita Lowenthal shares the heartbreaking story of her son Josh's addiction to heroin. While she doesn't beat you over the head with statistics, it is clear that the author hopes you will come away feeling less angry with yourself and your addict. She has placed the anger where it belongs--with the criminal justice system.

A must read for mother's of addicts

About 10 pages in the beginning, where I couldnt connect with the Jewish funeral and such, I stuck it out and found it to be a very human and painful truth about a mother and son dealing with addiction..I reccomend it to every mother who is suffering with the imperfections of a son who's addiction is running both their lives.

This book is just what I needed to read after losing my own son to the same fate and at about the same age as Josh was when he died. All the feelings she expresses and all of the different ways she tried to cope over the years - she could have been telling my story. I don't know why it is comforting to hear from others who have gone through the same pain as you but it does help. Rita Lowenthal tells the story in a very honest, loving, and caring way and I would recommend this book to anyone who has suffered with a loved one's addictions in this way. It's heartbreaking.