Biographies & Memoirs

The Lois Wilson Story: When Love is not Enough, The Biography of the Cofounder of Al-Anon

The Lois Wilson Story: When Love is not Enough, The Biography of the Cofounder of Al-Anon

Acclaimed author and screenwriter William G. Borchert explores the life and times of Lois Burnham Wilson, the spirited creator of Al-Anon and wife of Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson. From her privileged childhood in turn-of-the-century New York City to her socialite status as the 'Wall Street Wife' of the charismatic Bill in the roaring '20s to the couple's audacious crosscountry motorcycle excursions in the 1930s, Lois was every bit the adventure-seeker. But nothing could have prepared her for the chaos, anguish, and loss caused by Bill's seventeen-year descent into the depths of alcoholism.In this moving story, Borchert reveals how the couple rose from a life of despair to institute one of the twentieth century's most important social movements, and how Lois created a legacy of hope for millions of families devastated by addiction through her uncommon love and unshakable faith. Borchert drew from a series of exclusive personal interviews with Lois Wilson to write this definitive biography.

Chapter 1: When Will It End?

Chapter 2: How It All Began

Chapter 3: Love Almost at First Sight

Chapter 4: War Changes Many Things

Chapter 5: The Open Road to Success

Chapter 6: Social Drinking—Unsocial Behavior

Chapter 7: The Crash

Chapter 8: When Love Is Not Enough

Chapter 9: Recovery for Whom?

Chapter 10: Great Dreams in Akron

Chapter 11: Nightmare on Clinton Street

Chapter 12: Facing Her Own Addiction

Chapter 13: An Unsettled World—An Unsettled Life

Chapter 14: The Evolution of Al-Anon

Chapter 15: A Heart Attack Can Be Good for the Soul

Chapter 16: Bill’s Legacy: Alcoholics Anonymous—Love, Controversy, and Triumph

Chapter 17: Lois’s Legacy: Al-Anon, Alateen, and the Stepping Stones Foundation

Notes

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