Chancers

Addiction, Prison, Recovery, Love: One Couple's Memoir

By: Susan Stellin, Graham MacIndoe

Narrated by: Susan Stellin, Graham MacIndoe

In this powerful memoir of addiction, prison, and recovery, a reporter and a photographer tell their gripping story of falling in love, the heroin habit that drove them apart, and the unlikely way a criminal conviction brought them back together.

Books for a Better Life Award Finalist • LitHub Best Book of the Month

When Susan Stellin asked Graham MacIndoe to shoot her author photo for an upcoming travel book, she barely knew him except for a few weekends with mutual friends at a summer house in Montauk. He was a gregarious, divorced Scotsman who had recently gotten sober; she was an independent New Yorker who decided to take a chance on a rough-around-the-edges guy. But their relationship was soon tested when Susan discovered that Graham still had a drug habit he was hiding.

From their harrowing portrayal of the ravages of addiction to the stunning chain of events that led to Graham’s arrest and imprisonment at Rikers Island, Chancers unfolds in alternating chapters that offer two perspectives on a relationship that ultimately endures against long odds. Susan follows Graham down the rabbit hole of the American criminal justice system, determined to keep him from becoming another casualty of the war on drugs. Graham gives a stark, riveting description of his slide from brownstone Brooklyn to a prison cell, his gut-wrenching efforts to get clean, and his fight to avoid getting exiled far away from his son and the life he built over twenty years.

Beautifully written, brutally honest, yet filled with suspense and hope, Chancers will resonate with anyone who has been touched by the heartache of addiction, the nightmare of incarceration, or the tough choice of leaving or staying with someone who is struggling on the road to recovery. By sharing their story, Susan and Graham show the value of talking about topics many of us are too scared to address.

Praise for Chancers

“Stellin and MacIndoe, in entries sometimes akin to fighters in the ring, tell the story of their lives as MacIndoe rides a roller-coaster life of drug addiction and prison. . . . [Chancers] grabs in a voyeuristic way and propels page-turning to find out what happens next in a saga no soap opera could create.”—The Buffalo News

“Emotionally resonant and evenly structured, their tandem chronicle resists overly romanticizing their bittersweet interactions to focus on the dedication and devotion necessary to make their already-complicated relationship survive the fallout of critical hardships. An emotionally complex and intensely personal binary memoir of addiction and sustainable love.”—Kirkus Reviews

Critic reviews

Praise for Chancers

“Stellin and MacIndoe, in entries sometimes akin to fighters in the ring, tell the story of their lives as MacIndoe rides a roller-coaster life of drug addiction and prison. . . . It is a remarkable nine-year parallel journey that forced them to bare their innermost thoughts and feelings, forced them to distance themselves and, finally, forced them to recognize that a life, even in the depths of despair, merits saving. . . . [Chancers] grabs in a voyeuristic way and propels page-turning to find out what happens next in a saga no soap opera could create.”—The Buffalo News

“Emotionally resonant and evenly structured, their tandem chronicle resists overly romanticizing their bittersweet interactions to focus on the dedication and devotion necessary to make their already-complicated relationship survive the fallout of critical hardships. An emotionally complex and intensely personal binary memoir of addiction and sustainable love.”—Kirkus Reviews

Introspective....

First of all, I am thankful I downloaded this book. I don't know what makes me do it, and it packs a powerful punch for me. The fact that it is real life makes it more potent. Wow, Graham what a journey. It makes me think how easy it is to be addicted, and how it demeans and destroys peoples' lives. The fact that he survived to tell this story shows how strong he is.

Susan, am telling you, you are a better woman than I am. The way she fought, stood by Graham and love him is reminiscent of a woman to have as an advocate. That was some powerful emotions which jumped at me from the pages of this book. This should be read by people who have families. Anything can happen to anybody. As a minor comment, Graham, stay away from Nancy. Thank you.

Skillful mix of personal and political

I listened to the audio version of Chancers during a road trip and was immediately drawn into the memoir, which is narrated by the authors themselves. It is an amazing love story but extends beyond the personal realm, delving into addiction, criminal justice, and immigration. I found it rivoting and can easily imagine it becoming a Hollywood movie.

Should be mandatory reading for High School Students

There are so many lessons in this book. Not just the slide into severe substance abuse, the almost impossible recovery for addicts living in a society that criminalises an illness. But also the soulless way we treat people simply because they were born in another country, or because they're not Caucasian and English speaking.
The war on drugs is a failure, at no time was there any indication that drugs were inaccessible in society. The waste of money associated with this outdated and moralistic approach to a health issue is a crime.
The solutions are visible in this story, we just need to be brave enough to make a change, and weather the storm of criticism every time something goes wrong. Nothing could be worse than the current system.
Well done Authors! A story of determination and compassion.

co dependant love story

It was a fairly good listen. I was much more interested in grahams perspective though as he struggled with his addition.

Thanks

Very informative. Almost a mirror of my marriage. Glad you all shared.This is almost a quick guide for me. Thanks