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  • Lit

  • A Memoir
  • Written by: Mary Karr
  • Narrated by: Mary Karr
  • Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (20 ratings)

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Lit

Written by: Mary Karr
Narrated by: Mary Karr
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Publisher's Summary

Lit follows Mary Karr's descent into the inferno of alcoholism and madness - and her astonishing resurrection. Karr's longing for a solid family seems secure when her marriage to a handsome, Shakespeare-quoting poet produces a son they adore. But she can't outrun her apocalyptic past. She drinks herself into the same numbness that nearly devoured her charismatic but troubled mother, reaching the brink of suicide. A hair-raising stint in "The Mental Marriott" awakens her to the possibility of joy, and leads her to an unlikely faith.

Lit is about getting drunk and getting sober; becoming a mother by letting go of a mother; learning to write by learning to live. It is a truly electrifying story of how to grow up - as only Mary Karr can tell it.

©2009 Mary Karr (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

What the critics say

"Astonishing....One of the most dazzling and moving memoirs to come along in years." (Michiko Kakutani, New York Times)

What listeners say about Lit

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thanks, Mary

a perfect recovery story. you helped me. Love you.im in na and also read the Bible but going to kneel more when praying...

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Poetic Memoir

A poetic memoir of addiction and recovery but it's not ABOUT addiction and recovery. It's just a story, her story. A great story. A great writer. Karr writes about a famous program of recovery, without naming it, true to its traditions of anonymity. The special treat, that the Texan author narrates it, makes it worth a listen PLUS a read. I'd read it over a decade ago, and listening to it now, it's as if I'd skimmed over all of it. This book is for anyone who can read or listen.

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