Smacked by Eilene Zimmerman

Eilene Zimmerman, author of Smacked, was a journalist before she wrote this insightful memoir about her ex-husband’s hidden drug addiction, and herself. Maybe that’s why it’s my favorite memoir, hands down—her straightforward style resonates with me. Or maybe it’s because I relate to her story and can see myself in the pages. The Prologue sets the stage—her ex-husband overdosed and she found him dead. I found my brother. Her husband worked a ton. Mine too.

Smacked is written in animated scenes that reveal the truth of her life. I found myself mesmerized by the details and appreciate how she floats back and forth between past and present tense, especially when she slips into double-vantage point. “Later on, in midlife, I will better understand why it was so hard for me to ask for what I wanted back then, to admit that I actually loved that dress and wanted to wear it,” takes us back, but from a future perspective. Equally valuable is the reporting about addiction that’s woven into the story and her reveal about “big law” firms. Both appeal to my logical side that seeks reasoning.

Eilene clearly tries to make sense of her life on the pages, and it’s gratifying to process her life through her past and present lens, and see myself there, too. Smacked is a brave, true story that includes self-reflection AND information about addiction. Anyone who’s loved someone with an addiction and tried to make sense of their role in the disease will benefit from reading Smacked.