Last Call: A Memoir

by Nancy L. Carr, James Steen (Illustrator)

Memoir Synopsis “That evening I wanted to go to a teenage party, and I wanted to drink alcohol, the grownup beverage of choice, the potion glamorized on TV and in movies, the stuff the older cool kids were drinking every weekend. I wanted to be cool. I wanted to fit in. Whatever it took.” She was attractive, popular and determined to grow up in a hurry. How would she have known that at age thirteen, during her first teenage drinking party, her life would play out in such a way that it would rule her life decisions going forward? The handsome boys and pretty girls were guzzling a certain punch, and she wanted to be like them. Tentatively, she ladled the jungle juice from the punch bowl and had her first sip of alcohol. She wanted more. It couldn’t have come at a better time. This is what she’d been searching for –relief. Instant relief. Getting drunk becomes her rite of passage as she careens through junior and senior high school caving in to peer pressure for her need to feel accepted. Through secretarial school and early jobs, her twenties are a blur. Quicker than she can take a tequila shot in a Mexican café, change her lovers weekly, and party with the dregs of society, as well as the socialites and future executives – Nancy finds a lifestyle that seems to work for her. She continues on and drinks and uses cocaine through the snows of Aspen, the desert heat of Scottsdale, the California coast and her Pennsylvania homelands, only to find herself alone and desperate in her quest for love and her own identity. Milk, she decides, has a longer shelf life than her romantic interludes. Surfer Boy, Boston Boy, Blondie Boy. Her big question becomes, who is going to marry her? As she approaches her early 30’s, she thinks getting married will fix her. “I am sitting on my couch finishing up a second bottle of Two Buck Chuck, watching Sarah Jessica Parker on “Sex and the City,” crying and wondering why I’m still single. I understand why Sarah is single. She spends too much money on shoes, and no one wants to marry a shoe whore. She had the perfect man too. She was a fool to let Aidan get away. Ever since high school the perennial question from my parents and friends was always the same, “Are you going to marry him?” It never occurred to Nancy to blame her loneliness on her beverages of choice. She’d kept her career going. She wasn’t an alcoholic. In fact, she relished hearing confessions of real alcoholics so she could assure herself that they—and not she—had a problem. Hello, Black Kettle? This is Pot calling! Terribly alone after receiving her second DUI at age 37, Nancy experiences a moment of clarity. She’s been looking for answers everywhere but the place she least wants to the mirror. What glares back at her is over twenty-four years of living life in the fast lane, zooming by all the red flags. “Sitting in the jail cell I thought about hitting bottom. I could stop digging now. My life couldn’t get any worse….How could years of my free-wheeling lifestyle as a partier, mainly a social drinker, bring me to this place?” Compelled by a judge, Nancy walks into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and begins the hellacious journey of rethinking her life to finally find what she’d been searching for – her true self. Now sober for over ten years, married and with a thriving career, Nancy wants to tell other young women what she wishes someone had told her.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

331 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 3, 2015

Reviews

[Amalauna Brock · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was exhausting to read.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Last Call: A Memoir" is a fast paced recall of the frenzied chaotic lifestyle of author Nancy Carr (with James Steen). Easily bored, Carr began drinking heavily as a young teen in search of excitement, fun, and good times. As she progressed further into dependence on alcohol and drugs, these times increasingly seemed out of reach as she searched for her next high.

From a upper middle class family in Pennsylvania, many of her vacations were spent at an Aspen ski resort with her affluent friends. A teen friend introduced Carr to cocaine during a visit in California. Although her parents would later divorce, she maintained good relationships with both her mother and father. Carr discarded her first teen love, breaking his heart. Today, he is a happily married family man and company CEO.
Carr was truly perplexed as to why she never received any marriage proposals from her numerous lovers and live-in relationships. By her thirties her friends and family members were getting married and starting families, she was acutely aware this wasn't happening for her. Often during or after a party she would black out, or, another time, she found herself 150 miles from home and no money to return. Carr lost many jobs, had frequent moves. There was an constant edginess and instability in her professional and personal life.

At age 37, after Carr's second DUI landed her in jail, she resolved to join Alcoholics Anonymous and get clean and sober. The PAWS (post alcohol withdrawal syndrome), the short term memory loss, functioning in a mental fog at 1/2 capacity, the cult of the "unmanageable life" defined by AA "engulfed" her, as she made amends to family and friends. This is also a story of redemption and resiliency, and offers hope and inspiration whether one struggles with alcohol or chemical dependency issues or not. There were numerous helpful references and resources listed.

[Raylene Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very inspiring

I love how honest this book was, I could relate to a lot of it. I really appreciated her openness in sharing her story.

[Beth Ann Stevens · Rating 1 out of 5]

The worst

This is the worst book in this genre I have read to date. Save your money and skip this one.

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Later on, this would become quite ironic, considering she was involved in psycho-therapy and taking every imaginable anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drug on the market. So much for self-help." (Kindle location 1960).

As a recovered drunk with mental health-ish issues which I take medication for (fun fact - that's why many of us use in the first fucking place!) I deleted the book after that blurb.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you

Thank you for sharing your story. I am honored to be a part of your journey and I've learned so much from your life.

I rate the book a 4 because I found the writing as if it were just the facts. I wanted to sink into your life but I found that it was fact after fact without a real story line. I realize it's a memoir but a few times I had to put it down just to get a breath.

Other than that, congrats and big love to you!

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such Courage

It takes courage to honestly share your life before others. It's like standing naked before a crowd of people, for inspection.
Kudos to Nancy for being able to do this. I pray blessings over this important testimony, that many people may enter into recovery because they hear hope.

[Deneen Convery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honest depiction of substance abuse and coming out the other side
Ok read, awkward transitions.

[Linsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest

The writing style was great. She was honest, and you felt like you were walking through her life with her.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Smashed (a memoir also about booze) at least had some verve. This feels so average. At least include some scenes of needles and almost dying. Yawn.

Then there were the names of guys she met. "Tough Boy" for five pages and "Sexy bad boy" who is reoccurring for several pages, not just "saw a guy that looks like a sexy bad boy." And "Limo boy." "Old Hippie Dude." "OC Dude." Can't the author feign some originality?

"Fat coke dealer" and "Sober Man" were okay.

Also I'm not sure how I feel about the references to different movies and TV shows-- the watching Jessica Parker and crying one was great, but the one about the dude who has an attitude like Scarface- not so much.

This should have been way shorter and much more interesting. I could see it condensed into a chapter in an AA book, showcasing how a "normal" person "becomes an addict."

But I felt underwhelmed. Main character was a bore, which I guess the point.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring Memoir

This is hands down one of the best memoirs I've ever read. The length was perfect and the message was clear as day. The verbiage made it enjoyable as well. In my opinion the author did an amazing job telling her story . I'm so happy this was recommended to me by Goodreads , as I found it incredibly inspiring to see someone with so much courage to publish their life, for the public to read . I would recommend this book to anyone. Someone who just wants to read some good non fiction ,that could easily be a short fiction , someone maybe struggling with addiction , or the loved one of someone struggling with addiction . Just a overall great book .

[Melissa Newell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected to be inspired by this book. Unfortunately, I wasn't. It is painfully repetitive. Girl gets drunk, does cocaine, meets handsome bad boy, makes mistakes, gets DUI, moves, gets new job, gets drunk, does cocaine, meets hot man, gets second DUI, moves again, moves in with parents, gets lost at party, etc etc... She seemingly blames the "low lifes" and "bar flys" she was hanging out with for a majority of enabling her problems, and perhaps unintentionally, gave me the impression that she felt "above" these people, when in fact she never seems to fully embrace that she sat alongside them for so long. There are so many other inspiring "quit lit" pieces out there. I'd personally skip this one if I were you.

[Elizabeth Maher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching memoir

Me Card has a no holds bar approach that has a gripping good on the reader. I really appreciate her strength and courage to write about her struggles with mental health and addictions. She is very insightful and on point in her story. There is no feel sorry for me instead you are infused with her right to survive, change and face obstacles . She takes full responsibility for her actions and recovery. Great book! Thank you for sharing your journey! God bless and stay with your self actualization of the unique and wonderful person you are!

[Christine Allan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay but

This was a decent book, well written with few grammatical errors. However I found the authors constant bragging about luxury brands, how much better than other people she is and how every single man in her life was so good looking very tiring to reread over and over.

I’m glad she was able to stay sober, I hope that journey continues for her.

[Hazel Bonilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the Best!

I literally laughed out loud at some of the smartass remarks!
Many stories are like mine, only different names.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with some time under their belt.

[Michelle Ragucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relatable

I loved reading this book. I related to Nance and her experience that it scared me. I felt she was directly speaking to me, about me. Highly recommend for anyone thinking about getting sober.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit boring at the end

[Kailene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addiction

This book was so inspiring and encouraging. It was real raw, and authentic. Well worth reading and definitely a page turner!!

[Ruan Uys · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of spelling mistakes...

[Talia Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Nancy’s journey! I found myself relating to so much of her past and definitely gained a lot from this read.

[Staci McFarland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of the hundred of books I ride I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that was so judgment towards other people. The author to me comes off as very narcissistic.

[Dusty Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I never listen to another book with an AI narrator it will be too soon.

[Gina Rudd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and totally relatable

Love that Nancy put into words my thoughts, feelings, fears! I related sooo much to the what was, what changed, and what is now

[Charlotte_loves_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ it’s never just 1. Unless its 1 bottle (each).

[SJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite. Authors voice was annoying, narcissistic/ self centered, and glamorized addiction.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book using a free trial of Kindle Unlimited.

It was a quick entertaining read for the most part. The furious pace of the author's journey can become difficult to follow about half-way in, and the latter portion of the book can start to drag.

In this story, Nancy seems to be dating a new man every time you flip to the next page. The nicknames she gives them are sometimes cringe-worthy: "Sexy Bad Boy", "Cutie Patootie", "Stud #76", etc. Very few characters in this tale are fully fleshed out, mostly forgettable, and that's a shame considering this is a very personal memoir.

Nancy is always moving from city to city, from person to person, and never settles down for more than a minute. I wish she spent a little more time focusing on subplots within this greater story, rather than recounting a whirlwind of faceless men and nondescript drug scenarios.

Not the best of memoirs that deal with addiction, though still an interesting addition to those that enjoy this particular genre.

[Nichole Lindgren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once I got past the editing mistakes I thought the story was ok. Some of the timelines confused me because it wasn't always linear. She would start a date and end that entry after the date of the next entry. It got less and less engaging as the book went on, not because of the story, more because of the writing. Well, maybe a bit because of the story too. Good for her though for telling her story and helping others.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Courageous memoir. Not necessarily a unique piece of writing, but I think it would be helpful and inspirational to anyone struggling with addiction themselves or via a loved-one.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little reminiscent of Go Ask Alice. Not great, kinda sad.

[Lorraina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye opening memoir of life as an alcoholic and getting sober. Good read.