Book Review: “Every Grain of Sand” by David P. Wichman (via Reedsy Discovery)

TITLE: Every Grain of Sand

AUTHOR: David P. Wichman

GENRE: Memoir

THEMES: Recovery, addiction, sexuality, childhood, abuse, life, struggle, spirituality, motivational/inspirational, overcoming obstacles, against all odds, etc.

NOTE: A COPY OF THIS BOOK WAS PROVIDED FOR FREE BY REEDSY DISCOVERY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

David P. Wichman, sexual healer, entrepreneur, author and survivor, has written a riveting recovery memoir full of heartache and redemption. Readers are calling it “captivating,” “authentic,” “inspiring,” “beautiful,” and “a masterpiece.” Do yourself a favor and read this memoir. You can purchase the book on the author’s website.

David P. Wichman – author, speaker, sexual healer, and entrepreneur — has written a riveting recovery memoir with co-author Heather Ebert, a life story teeming with deep despair and ultimate triumph. Wichman’s memoir is a gritty and grotesque depiction of the deep wounds a lifetime of abuse and trauma, drug and alcohol addiction, and debilitating life choices can leave on a person.

The memoir hits the ground running with Wichman’s foreboding incarceration, opening a rock-bottom chapter in his life when the laundry list of illegal and destructive acts of his past finally catch up with him. Wichman writes “My life pivoted sharply in September 2005, and after decades of struggle and failure, I found my way to freedom from my addictions, as well as an abiding gratitude for the wonder of my own existence.”

He tells the story of a troubled soul, a lost boy whose life was forever altered by catastrophic events outside his control. He spends decades trapped in desperate situations, most of them initially inflicted by others – but many of them self-inflicted as he grows into a displaced adulthood, physically and emotionally. There are moments when the reader might feel overwhelmed, but Wichman’s experiences and perspectives are well worth exploring until the last page.

The seamless balance of light and dark frees this often-heavy memoir from being potentially morose. The content itself is far from pleasant, but the writing is substantive and beautifully poised. Best of all, the reward for riding this roller coaster is a man’s eventual spiritual discovery, personal and professional enlightenment, and hard-won optimism for life over death. This story is brutal, but it is vital.

NOTE: This book is replete with sensitive topics and events. The descriptions of childhood sexual abuse, adult sex work, and drug use might be overwhelming for some readers.