By the age of twenty, Joey has OD'd, attempted suicide, quit college, survived a near-fatal car accident, done time behind bars, and been kicked out of rehab. Now manipulative and hateful, the once sweet and charming Joey is long gone.

This is the poignant story of a defiant addict and the mother who won't give up on him. She finally realizes that it hurts more to hang on than to let go, and that letting go is not the same thing as giving up.

Sandra Swenson beautifully orchestrates a mother's lessons of love and loss, while surviving her son's addiction. Despairing parents of addicts will find comfort in this stark, yet hopeful tale.

Sandra Swenson is the mother of two sons. As a member of the Junior Women's Club of Chevy Chase, Sandy created the Bistro Boyz, a program for young men from the National Center for Children and Families' Greentree Adolescent Program. She lives in Austin, Texas.