Sober Mercies

How Love Caught Up with a Christian Drunk

By: Heather Kopp

Narrated by: Loretta Rawlins

Where do you turn for hope when you already have the answer--but the answer isn't working?

As a long-time Christian, Heather Kopp never expected to become an out-of-control alcoholic who kept private stashes of booze all over the place--tucked behind books in her study, zipped into a special compartment in her oversized purse, at the back of her closet stuffed inside her boots.

Even as her career and marriage teetered on the brink, Kopp couldn't get a grip, desperately hiding the true extent of her drinking from the rest of the world--her husband included. During the day she wrote books about God and prayer and family. At night she'd locked herself in her bathroom to guzzle chardonnay.

For her, as for many Christians who struggle with addiction, overwhelming shame and confusion only made things worse. Why wasn't her faith enough to save her? Why didn't repentance, Bible reading and prayer work? Where was God?

Meanwhile, as she watched in horror, her grown son descended into his own nightmare of drugs and alcohol. She feared for his life, yet she couldn't stop drinking long enough to help him--or find a way out for herself.

Until the day everything changed.

Engaging, funny and bracingly honest, Kopp shares her remarkable journey into darkness...and back to the light again. Her story reveals the unique challenges and spiritual conundrums Christians face when they become ensnared in an addiction, and the redemption that's possible when we finally reach the end of ourselves.

If you love Jesus but shop too much, drink too much, eat too much, crush on men who aren't your husband, or otherwise fixate on doing things you hate but can't stop doing, SOBER MERCIES is for you.

As you follow Kopp's sincere, stumbling journey toward freedom and a deeply satisfying relationship with God, you'll find renewed hope--and practical steps of recovery--for your own journey.

Raw and Inspiring!

Sober Mercies is a raw and painfully truthful account of one Christian's journey in the Spiritual Transformation necessary to deal with the disease of Alcoholism. Heather Harpham Kopp has a very insightful writing style. Loretta Rawlins is an excellent narrator who really lifts the words off the page in a conversational way. I hope to listen to more books read by her.

His mercies are new every morning

Heather has made God's mercies new to us as readers with her honesty, integrity and willingness to share those things most of us would keep hidden, private. Thank you so much for your willingness to show us God's mercies in your life so we can assimilate them into our own.

Real Inspiration

Thank you, Heather, for sharing your story. It gives me much hope for a brighter future. Thank you for your transparency, it helped me to shed my shame and go to a meeting. I am forever changed.

An oasis in a lost desert

What made the experience of listening to Sober Mercies the most enjoyable?

The Content

Any additional comments?

I have read & listened to hundreds of books over the years and have never been inclined to post a review or my opinions, but not doing so with this book would not give it justice. Struggling with very similar issues for the last 15 years myself, I have been to countless Christian retail and online stores looking for something that would relate to some of my own personal conflictions as a Christian struggling with an addiction. For the first time in 15 years I feel like I am not alone in this ordeal and highly commend Loretta’s braveness to put her experience out there for some of us to take note, relate and possibly learn from it. This book has given me the inspiration to explore new avenues I have discarded in the past and given me renewed hope for the future. Thank you Loretta.
-A Christian Man in Texas

AA and Al-Anon Must Read

Although the narrator's voice sounds too young for the author (she has grown children), I enjoyed the book very much-- would highly recommend for alcoholics and Al-Anon members!