Everything I Never Wanted to Be: a Memoir of Alcoholism and Addiction, Faith and Family, Hope and Humor

Imagine a "Leave it to Beaver" in which June works as a grocery store clerk by day, a stand-up comic at night, and struggles to stay sober all the time. In addition, Ward likes to get high, Wally is gay, and Beaver is a heroin addict. That's Dina Kucera's life. 
"Raw and funny." -- Joel Stein, Time Magazine columnist

"Like a maelstrom." -- Gary Klinga, ForeWord Review

Called "the funniest book ever about addiction," Everything I Never Wanted to Be by Dina Kucera is the true story of a family's battle with alcohol and drugs. Dina's grandparents were alcoholics, her father was an alcoholic, she is an alcoholic and pill addict, and all three of her daughters struggle with alcohol and drug addiction--including her youngest daughter, who started using heroin at age fourteen.

Dina's household also includes her husband and his unemployed identical twin; a mother who has Parkinson's Disease; a grandson who has cerebral palsy; and other people who drift in and out of the household depending on their employment situation or rehab status.

On top of all that, Dina is trying to make it as a stand-up comic and author so she can quit her crummy job as a grocery store clerk. Through it all, Dina does her best to hold her family together, keep her faith, and maintain her sense of humor.

Any story filled with alcoholics and drug addicts is bound to include horrific events. But in the end, Everything I Never Wanted to Be is an uplifting story that contains valuable lessons for parents and teens alike, and a strong message about the need to address the epidemic of teen drug addiction in our nation. It's a book that can change behavior and save lives--and make you laugh along the way.

"Open and honest." -- Charline Ratcliff, Rebecca's Reads

"Malcolm in the Middle meets Cops." -- Jenny Mounfield, The Compulsive Reader

"So absolutely over the top that it makes readers laugh out loud and thank God it is not them." -- Robin Martin, San Francisco Book Review

"A life-changing experience. It will inspire you never to give up." -- Madeline Sharples, author ofLeaving the Hall Light On

If you want the inside story when it comes to life on the edge -- and if you want to laugh out loud in spite of yourself -- read this book.

3.88 Stars on 428 Ratings on Goodreads.