Pastor Tracy Reads | Notes to John by Joan Didion

December 18, 2025 | Pastor Tracy Troxel

I am not recommending this book to everyone, per se. This book would be most helpful to anyone who has walked with a friend or family member who is struggling with alcohol or drug use.  Oftentimes, caregivers for someone struggling with addiction find it exceedingly difficult to know how to best help their loved one with their addiction.

Here is the fascinating part of this book. In November 1999, Joan Didion entered therapy in part to help her navigate her relationship with her daughter, Quintana, who was struggling with addiction. Joan meticulously detailed her counseling sessions to share them with her husband, John. Joan experienced all the normal tendencies that a caregiver faces in trying to help their addicted loved one. Her recounting of her therapy sessions provides a wealth of important considerations for caregivers.

While the solutions do not contain much in the way of biblical content, the issues that are surfaced in this account provide a wealth of commonsense parameters that every caregiver will have to navigate as they care for someone in addiction. The narrative is brutally honest in so many ways. The heartbreak of caring for someone in addiction is clear. If you are a caregiver, you will map onto Joan’s feelings and reactions. While this is not the only book I would consult if you were helping someone with addiction, it can give you hope and realistic expectations as you love someone who is struggling mightily.

Pastor Tracy Troxel