Non-Fiction: Leave the Light On by Jennifer Storm

Las Vegas-based Central Recovery Press publishes books with a very tight focus. As their name implies, all of CRP’s titles deal with issues of addiction and recovery. While this might seem an almost impossibly esoteric publishing mandate, CRP’s narrow focus ensures that the message they send to the world is measured and deliberate. “Central Recovery Press is committed to offering exceptional published material for addiction treatment and recovery.” And that’s just what they do.

Considering the topics CRP deals with, it seems possible to me that some of these books have saved lives. Take, for instance, a very recent CRP release, Leave the Light On by Jennifer Storm who is also the executive director of a Pennsylvania-based victim/witness assistance program.

Storm shoots straight from the hip and some of what she shares here is heart-breaking. Storm’s drop into addiction was covered in her 2008 memoir, Blackout Girl: Growing Up and Drying Out. In this new book, we get to see the light with her: but there are some painful passages here to go through, first, including not only her recovery, but her coming out.

Those dealing with similar challenges are likely to find strength and light here. Those who are not will find the tone evangelical, at best. That’s okay, somehow though. It seems to me to be worth knowing that, for recovery reading, I don’t think anyone is doing it better than CRP.