Valentish tells her story with brutal honesty and dark, wry wit – but the memoir is made more urgent by the research woven through it. It’s a startling and thorough investigation into the relationship between gender, trauma and addiction, and the women who fall through the gaps – with the writer offering herself up as the case study. So how does Saima Mir think the Pakistani community is going to react to her debut novel The Khan’s depiction of a criminal syndicate run by Pakhtuns, who also happen to be pious Muslims? Addiction results from a complex set of reasons including trauma as a child. Genetics plays a big role, as does learned behavior (drinking gave me solace before, so I’ll try it again). The character of Emma is a strong one. She's a calloused, strong willed, business woman at her core. She doesn't allow anyone to take advantage of her or mistreat her, including the men in her life, which is a huge thing for a novel published in the seventies.

The story begins in the twilight of Emma’s life as she sits on top of the world basking in the daily operations of her empire and all the accoutrements of her vast wealth. But, when she is informed that forces are working to overthrow her, taking her decision -making authority away- she sets a plan in action…A woman who is happy in her own skin is incredibly powerful. But a woman of substance also knows she is so much more than the way she looks. The amount of research in this book contributed to strengthening the message that all individuals have their own unique way of dealing with substance abuse, but that there are indicators throughout (early) life that can indicate addictive behavior. The fact that Valentish took a gendered stance in her research is the perfect example to demonstrate that the personal differences mentioned above are more often than not accounted for in the ways we deal/treat cases of substance abuse.

My favorite part was when she talked about her sobriety because she is very real about it. Sobriety isn't sunshine and rainbows and she was very honest in her portrayal. I especially loved how she went through every week her first year of sobriety and how she was feeling. I also had to laugh during the "a word from my sponsor" part because I could relate to that.Women are never stronger than when they arm themselves with their weaknesses.” Madame Marie du Deffand Because failure is always a part of any success. Trial and error demands we have slip-ups as part of the learning process. But why did she decide to write about a Pakhtun family? Mir says that she has family links with that culture and that she became interested in the community in Bradford years ago when she was out on a reporting assignment and found herself in a beautiful garden crescent in Bradford, which turned out to be populated entirely by Pakhtun families. Journalist Jenny Valentish takes a gendered look at drugs and alcohol, using her own story to light the way. Mining the expertise of 35 leading researchers, clinicians and psychiatrists, she explores the early predictors of addictive behaviour, such as trauma, temperament and impulsivity. There are several more additions to this long running saga and I can not wait to read them!! I see now why this book was so popular and remained so for decades, and why so many people still say it is one of their favorite books of all time.

I read it 30 years ago in my bookclub and I am currently re-reading it. I read the series, each about the next generation of the Harte family, and enjoyed them immensely, but each book stands alone with satisfying endings.The pressure put on women in today’s society is immense and I admire any female out there who doesn’t let the high demands and expectations get them down. In my experience, I have learned that we, as women, should not let the likes of “perfected” images or “criticism” affect us and It has came as such a relief to me to realize that being different and imperfect is far more interesting than being a “perfect” person. I believe that being yourself and feeling happy as yourself- just the way you are signifies the word “beauty.” But now they're conscious of the fact they've put on weight and they don't like it. They won't eat." 'God forbid women take drugs to enjoy ourselves'

A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford is a 2014 RosettaBooks publication. (originally published in 1979) That’s why the first sign on our list is that you know your core values and you govern your life by them.Valentish, now 42, details the highs and lows of her first year without alcohol — including her time in the Alcoholics Anonymous program (AA), her marriage breakdown, and her experience with "hormonal uprisings" — in her new book Woman of Substances, part memoir, part research project about women's addiction. Addiction treatment: society is failing women Valentish does a fantastic job of covering addiction through the lens of gender and does not espouse a one-size fits all approach. Highly recommend. It releases serotonin and it becomes like a little relationship. An abusive relationship." Treatment needs to be better tailored to women's experience Excellent combination of Valentish's memoir of addiction and non-fiction exploration of the social underpinnings of how women come to abuse substances, and how physiologically, medically, and socially women are discouraged from getting help. In the brooding moors above a humble Yorkshire village stood Fairley Hall. There, Emma Harte, its oppressed but resourceful servant girl, acquired a shrewd determination. There, she honed her skills, discovered the meaning of treachery, learned to survive, to become a woman, and vowed to make her mark on the world.