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"An insightful, crosscutting depiction of lives in recovery." -Kirkus Reviews
"A raw, unflinching exploration of addiction, identity, and self-destruction that lingers long after the final page." -Rhea Gangavkar, Reedsy Discovery
In Alcoholics Anonymous there is a saying: "Getting sober is the easy part, staying sober is the real challenge." In that spirit, this story tackles the lives of four characters' intertwining struggles during the rarely explored period of post-sobriety.
In post-COVID Southern California, Nate and Olivia each struggle to build meaningful lives after addiction recovery. Nate is leaving treatment for the nineteenth time, caught up in an uncertain "rehab romance" with Abby, whose own addiction issues feed into his own. Meanwhile Olivia, sober for three years, feels stuck in her dual life as a chemistry graduate student and a strip club dancer––but things take a turn when the club's madam encourages her to "find a new dance," igniting her desire for change.
The Thirteenth Step is an unforgivingly honest character driven story that mixes an addiction recovery narrative with romantic elements, and the conflict and issues explored in the story can apply in one way or another to most adults, beyond just those with a relationship to recovery.
