WHERE THE SHADOWS DANCE

An affecting memoir about the steep toll addiction takes on a marriage.

When Killion met her husband, the attraction was immediate and intense. Six months after their first date, the couple married, and over the years they relocated several times around the country with their sons while pursuing fulfilling careers. (He became a successful businessman while she started a clothing line.) Despite the outward trappings of success, the author’s husband has a secret life. Bottles of beer stashed around the house were harbingers of a series of mysterious disappearances and unreturned phone calls; Killion’s husband was followed by the unmistakable stench of alcohol when he returned home. The author realized her husband was an alcoholic and implored him to seek treatment, but nothing worked until she threatened to leave him. Her husband’s sobriety led to unexpected and painful revelations when she learned he had been unfaithful throughout their marriage. As Killion struggled to rebuild trust in her husband, she realized, “the sutures we’ve applied can’t cover the angry gash that has left my heart and my love and my self-respect infected.” Killion’s memoir is a raw look at one of the most difficult chapters in her life, told in sharp, finely honed prose. Her narrative opens with the first subtle hints of her husband’s growing dependence on alcohol before describing the passionate early years of their marriage; this approach emphasizes the all-consuming love Killion had for her husband and illustrates how she was able to minimize the initial signs that something was wrong. Although the author is open about the effect of her husband’s addiction on her marriage, she omits certain details—her husband is never named or given any physical description. This decision successfully keeps the focus on Killion and her experiences. That said, Killion limits references to her own fashion design career to a handful of mentions; further exploration of that aspect of her life would have offered insight into her interests and career trajectory. Overall, though, Killion’s story will resonate with readers facing a loved one’s battle with addiction.

An unflinching portrait of a woman rebuilding her life.