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Beautiful Boy

A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Beautiful Boy is a gripping memoir by David Sheff that traces his son Nic's tragic descent into methamphetamine addiction and the family's struggle to cope. Before addiction, Nic was a beloved varsity athlete and honour student, but crystal meth reduced him to a stolen life on the streets. The book follows David’s desperate search for treatment options and his unwavering hope, portraying the emotional toll and resilience of a family tested by addiction.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5500

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This deeply emotional and insightful memoir is suited for readers interested in true stories of family, addiction, and recovery. It is particularly valuable for parents facing similar challenges and those seeking a compassionate perspective on substance abuse.

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Sheff's story tells of his teenage son's addiction to meth, in this real-time chronicle of the shocking descent into substance abuse and the family's gradual emergence into hope.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

#1 New York Times bestseller

"A brilliant, harrowing, heartbreaking, fascinating story, full of beautiful moments and hard-won wisdom. This book will save a lot of lives and heal a lot of hearts." β€” Anne Lamott

What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong? Those are the wrenching questions that haunted David Sheff's journey through his son Nic's methamphetamine addiction and tentative steps toward recovery. Before Nic became addicted to crystal meth, he was a charming boy, joyous and funny, a varsity athlete and honour student adored by his two younger siblings. After meth, he was a trembling wraith who lied, stole, and lived on the streets. As a father grappling with his son's drug abuse, David Sheff traces the first warning signs: the denial, the three a.m. phone callsβ€”is it Nic? The police? The hospital? His preoccupation with Nic became an addiction in itself. But as a journalist, he instinctively researched every treatment that might save his son. And in this unforgettable family memoir, he refused to give up on Nic.

"When one of us tells the truth, he makes it easier for all of us to open our hearts to our own pain and that of others." That's ultimately what Beautiful Boy is about: truth and healing." β€” Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia

"Filled with compelling anecdotes and important insights . . . An eye-opening memoir." β€” Washington Post

This is the true story of a father's journey through the agonising reality of his son's drug addictionβ€”a gripping, firsthand account of a family tested by one of the toughest challenges a parent can face.

  • A Harrowing Transformation: Witness the heartbreaking descent of a charming, joyous honour student into a life on the streets, driven by a devastating addiction to crystal meth.
  • A Father's Unconditional Love: Follow David Sheff's relentless search for answers and treatment, a journey fuelled by a refusal to give up on his son, no matter how dire the circumstances.
  • Parenting an Addict: Experience the raw, eye-opening account of a parent's helplessness, denial, and fierce determination in the face of a child's spiralling substance abuse.
  • An Unforgettable Family Memoir: More than a story of addiction, Beautiful Boy is a deeply moving portrait of a family's pain, resilience, and ultimate hope for recovery.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780547203881

Publisher: Cengage Learning, Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 January 2009

Country: United States

Imprint: Houghton Mifflin

Audience: Teenage

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 132.0mm

Height: 201.0mm

Weight: 272g

Pages: 352

About the Author

DAVID SHEFF is the author of several books, including the #1 New York Times best-selling memoir Beautiful Boy. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Playboy, Wired, and many other publications. His ongoing research and reporting on the science of addiction earned him a place on Time magazine's list of the World's Most Influential People. Sheff and his family live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit David at DavidSheff.com, and on Twitter @david_sheff.

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