Many of us have a difficult relationship with alcohol or know someone who does. Unfortunately, the resources available to work through these complex issues tend to take a one-size-fits-all approach that can feel inauthentic at best and condescending at worst. In this unique memoir, author Thorson Keith details his struggles with alcohol use and abuse with a refreshing mix of frankness, good humour, and compassion. Personifying alcohol as a seductive old flame he just can’t seem to rid himself of, Keith relays the story of his difficult relationship with the “Temptress” in the style of a personal journal, following its development in the wake of his wife’s death and his subsequent retirement from his local police force as he grapples with making new meaning of his life. Harrowing and hilarious in turns, Conversations with Alcohol provides an antidote to the patronizing and brash approaches to the treatment of substance abuse that gloss over the nuances of peoples' unique experiences. In contrast, it offers a thoroughly intimate, honest portrayal of these struggles through the eyes of someone right in the thick of it, offering up heartfelt solidarity with anyone going through something similar.