a memoir of alcoholism and addiction, faith and family, hope and humor by Dina Kucera

Everything I Never Wanted to Be is a quick and stimulating read, and a great choice for book clubs. If you would like host an event or book club meeting with Dina Kucera, please contact mikeomary@dreamofthings.com. Dina is available to talk in person with book clubs in the Phoenix area, and by telephone with book clubs elsewhere.

Readers Guide:

1. In Chapter 1, Dina finds a depressing note written by her youngest daughter. Have you ever stumbled upon a letter or journal entry that was difficult or painful to read? How did you handle the situation?
2. Dina describes what it’s like to be a “checker” (check-out cashier) in a grocery store. Do you feel sympathy for Dina in her role as checker? Have you ever had a job that made you feel the way Dina feels as a checker?
3. How does Dina manage to write a book with only a ninth grade education? What sorts of “unconventional” learning might be necessary to accomplish such a task?
4. At one point, Dina says, “Carly has to decide to be clean or not. It’s up to her.” How do you feel about that statement? What is a parent’s responsibility in the face of a child’s pervasive drug use and ongoing relapses?
5. Dina does not tell her story in chronological order. How would you describe the structure of the story? Would the story be as effective if told in chronological order?
6. Discuss Dina’s difficulties dealing with life that lead her to “self-medicate” with drugs and alcohol.
7. Do you care about Dina and her family members, or do you feel they got the life they deserve as a result of alcohol and drug abuse? Do you care about some family members more than others?
8. Most of the book is written in the past tense, but many passages are written in the present tense. Why does Dina switch back and forth between past tense and present tense?
9. At the start of the last chapter, Dina discusses the “four stages of living with an alcoholic or drug addict.” What are those stages, and how does that compare with any personal experience you may have had with alcoholism or addiction?
10. How do you feel about the end of the book? Is there a resolution to the problems that are brought up in the book?

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