A portrait of five Concord, Massachusetts, writers whose works were at the center of mid-nineteenth-century American thought and literature evaluates their interconnected relationships, influence on each other's works, and complex beliefs.
Born into a world ruled by the cocktail hour, in which the solution to any problem could be found in a dry martini, Susan Cheever's existence was both charmed and damned. She and her father, the celebrated novelist and short-story writer John Cheever, were both deeply touched and troubled by alcohol.For the first time addressing the profound effects that alcohol had on her life, in shaping her relationships with men, and in influencing her efforts as a writer, Susan Cheever has written a memoir that is shockingly revealing. She tells of her childhood obsession with the niceties of cocktails and all that they implied -- sociability, sophistication, status; her college days spent drinking beer and cheap wine; and her three failed marriages. It is a compelling story that brings her perilously close to the edge of oblivion. Sober now for several years, Susan looks back on her life with clear-eyed candor in a book about recovery that is wrenching and ultimately inspiring.
Using a rich collection of unpublished letters, journals, and personal memories, the author offers a heartfelt and intimate portrait of her father, John Cheever. This tribute delves into the complexities of their relationship, revealing both the struggles and the profound connections that defined it. Through this exploration, readers gain a deeper understanding of Cheever's life and legacy, as well as the impact he had on his daughter's journey.