BEAUTIFUL THINGS A Memoir

No one could narrate this punch-in-the-gut memoir more powerfully than its author, Hunter Biden, President Biden's younger son. It is his story: raw, unvarnished; filled with despair, anger, and redemption. An alcoholic who first drank at the age of 14, he later added crack cocaine to his pharmacopoeia. In his view at the time, he was functioning just fine--until his brother, Beau, died. After that, his addiction increased dramatically, his entire life narrowing to the search for his next hit. Biden's phrasing and rhythm increase the intensity of his story. His staccato intonation suggests that if he doesn't say it quickly, he might not say it all. The roller coaster ride will leave listeners breathless. E.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2021]