A HOUSE ON STILTS Mothering in the Age of Opioid Addiction

In a clear voice, Paula Becker chronicles the life of her son, Hunter Brown, from his precocious beginnings as a toddler to his teenage years as an opioid addict. Listeners will find it hard to believe that a well-educated mother and father--a writer and a physician--did not know what to do for him. They were proactive in making the best educational choices and in securing countless interventions to provide Hunter with safety and help. Listeners will find Becker's descriptions of his relapses heartrending. Through her agony, guilt, and, finally, acceptance, Becker came to understand that she could not control her son's choices, no matter how much they hurt. Her cautionary tale warns every parent that good intentions may not be enough to save an addicted child. E.E.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2020]