Blog Archives
The Twelve Steps: A Modern Hero’s Journey
The Twelve Steps: A Modern Hero’s Journey reframes the well-known path of addiction recovery through the lens of mythology, particularly Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey. Drawing from storytelling, Jungian psychology, and classic spiritual traditions, the book maps each of the Twelve Steps onto an archetypal journey from despair to renewal. Along the way, the author pulls examples from literature and film, like Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, and Harry Potter, to show how this ancient path mirrors the personal transformation found in recovery. Part memoir, part myth, and part manual, the book paints sobriety as nothing short of a heroic quest.
Reading this book hit me harder than I expected. I’ve read plenty on the Twelve Steps before—some dry, some preachy, some so vague they feel like bumper stickers. But this one? It felt alive. The writing is warm, honest, and steeped in lived experience. It’s not afraid to be poetic or personal. I found myself genuinely moved by the way the author honored both the pain and the promise of the recovery process. I appreciated that it didn’t lighten the agony of hitting bottom or the grit it takes to stay on the path. And when it described recovery as both death and rebirth, that resonated with me.
What really stood out, though, was the use of myth. At first, I thought it might come off as gimmicky. But the comparisons—Luke Skywalker finding purpose, Dorothy leaving Kansas, Harry confronting himself—felt real. They didn’t just decorate the narrative; they deepened it. I started seeing how we all play out these stories in our own ways, whether we’re battling addiction or just trying to grow up. The structure was clear and well-paced. Sometimes the spiritual language leaned a bit heavy for my taste, but it never lost its footing. The writing stayed grounded even when it reached for the stars.
The Twelve Steps: A Modern Hero’s Journey is a stirring read. It’s smart and hopeful. I’d recommend it to anyone in recovery, especially those looking for something more soulful than standard fare. It’s also great for folks outside recovery who are curious about transformation, or anyone who loves myth and wants to apply it to real life. You don’t need to be a wizard or Jedi to take this journey, you just need to be willing.
Pages: 336 | ASIN : B0DXFY4ZD8
Little Boy, I Know Your Name: A Second-Generation Memoir from Inherited Holocaust Trauma
Readers looking for a book that hits you right in the feels and leaves you thinking long afterward, will not want to miss Little Boy, I Know Your Name by Mitchell Raff. This memoir dives into the author’s life, showing how inherited trauma from the Holocaust shaped him and the people around him. It’s raw, emotional, and brutally honest, painting a picture of a childhood full of pain, survival, and moments of unexpected love.
From the first chapter, this book pulls no punches. Raff shares heartbreaking stories of his abusive mother and the chaos that surrounded his young life. One scene that will stick with me forever is when his mom threw him out of the house into the cold night. It’s gut-wrenching, and I couldn’t help but feel for the little boy he was. But there’s balance in the way he writes. He also talks about the kindness and stability he found with his uncle and aunt, who stepped in as surrogate parents. Their love gave the story some much-needed light, and I found myself rooting for them just as much as for Raff.
The focus on his childhood trauma is the primary focus of the book, and I found myself wishing for more information about his father’s struggles or his adult life. But maybe that’s the point, though. It really allows readers to sit with the weight of everything he went through. A moment I remember was when his therapist called him a “well-dressed poser.” It was a wake-up call for Raff and, honestly, a moment that made me reflect on my own life, too. We all wear masks, don’t we?
What really makes this book special to me is how it tackles inherited trauma. Raff’s family, like so many Holocaust survivors, tried to bury the pain. But it seeped through in ways they couldn’t control. It’s these quiet and powerful memories that make the book more than just a story about one man’s struggles.
By the time I finished, I felt a mix of heartbreak and hope. The ending, where Raff reflects on his son Joshua and the possibility of breaking free from the cycle of pain, strikes just the right note. It’s not a happily-ever-after, but it’s real, and it left me believing healing is possible.
I’d recommend Little Boy, I Know Your Name to anyone who loves memoirs that dig deep. If you liked The Glass Castle or Night, Raff’s writing will resonate with you. It’s not a breezy read, but it’s the kind of book that reminds you of the strength it takes to confront the past and move forward.
Pages: 235 | ASIN : B0CLL22MMG
The Parables of Chance
The Parables of Chance by John Nicholson tells the story of people living in a small town in the Midwest called Parables. The characters are seemingly separate from each other but tied together in ways they don’t see. Using the technique of an omnipresent narrator, Nicholson utilizes a play on words to examine a town growing and changing in ways the locals’ regret. The treatment of animals is the yardstick by which this society is measured. Abused and abandoned animals used to be unusual but are now becoming more common. As an old-timer, Sam laments, “The more this town grows, the farther it drifts from the values that made it such a great place.”
The main character around which most of the story revolves is a cat called Tabby. He is a pawn in a bitter split, beloved by Tony but given to Ruth in their divorce settlement. In a fit of misguided vengeance, Ruth abandons him. Tabby is then cruelly abused by a drunk called Rick and attacked by a wily street cat and then a fox; he is finally rescued by a kind-hearted student nurse, Lizzie, and she renames him Chance.
All the kind and terrible things the characters do or experience are tied somehow to Tabby/Chance and each other. A fistfight between Tony and Rick over the cat results in Olivia almost losing her baby. Unknown to Olivia, the nurse who treats her and gives her hope is the same woman who rescued Tabby.
The Parables of Chance is satisfying in that, unlike real life, in these “parables,” the bad guys get what’s coming to them, and the good guys get their “chance,” learn their lessons and find their happy endings. This novel is filled with suspense and drama that readers will be hooked into as they follow a mistreated tabby cat named Cance.
Pages: 247
LITERARY TITAN 