Scattered Pink: A Diary of a Woman in Recovery

by Honesty Liller

During my active addiction, I thought I was going to die and I accepted that. It sounds morbid, but it was where I was in life. I was in love with heroin and the dysfunctional relationship I had with it. Being present in my everyday life was very difficult. Using drugs for the first time at the age of 12, I was just trying to fit in and have fun. Then there was heroin. The crimes I would commit and the hurt I would cause the people I loved never crossed my mind in pursuit of that drug. It didn't matter. I was in love the first time it was in my body. But when I finally stayed in recovery, magic truly happened. The path and journey of my life were changed completely. I am a woman in long-term recovery from drug addiction. What that means for me is that I have been drug and alcohol-free since May 27, 2007. Learning about my soul and truly who I am has been difficult, scary, beautiful, and amazing. Being able to wake up every day and walk in my purpose is priceless. I want the same for you.

99 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 25, 2022

About the author

Honesty Liller has been in recovery from a substance use disorder since May 27, 2007, and is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist in Virginia. She is the best-selling author of Scattered Pink and serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The McShin Foundation, a nationally accredited, peer-to-peer Recovery Community Organization (RCO) that supports individuals and families dealing with substance use disorders. Recently, Honesty became a SHE RECOVERS Professional and hosts a monthly support group at McShin for women and non-binary individuals. In 2025, Honesty founded Honesty Liller Coaching, LLC providing Transformational and Leadership Coaching to women, empowering them to unlock their full potential, build confidence, and lead with authenticity.

Honesty has been featured on Face the Nation, FOX News, CNN, and PBS, where she has discussed addiction and recovery in America. She also completed Stanford University’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders and was recognized in 2019 with the Jean C. Harris Community Service Board Award from Hanover County. WRIC Channel 8 News highlighted her in their 2020 “Richmond’s Remarkable Women” special. Honesty has served as a field reviewer for SAMHSA, Faces & Voices of Recovery, and CAPRSS. In 2015, she received the Vernon Johnson Award from Faces and Voices of Recovery.

Reviews

[COLLEEN H DANIEL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly an amazing journey of addiction and forgiveness.

A wonderful book for people who have been addicted, recovered and needed to love and forgive themselves to live drug free.

[Thelma Ambrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

First few pages in and I thought this was just a rambling diary of recovery . It is so much more. Kudos to this woman author for sharing her soul. Her honesty is real. Good read for those in recovery but for all of us who need to understand that life is grace, and we all need each other. You will finish wanting to support the McShin foundation and all their work.

[Patti Hornstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw and honest

Honesty opens her heart and soul in this fascinating and compelling tale of her recovery from addiction. I found myself cheering her on as I read her story!

[Emma Burris · Rating 1 out of 5]

note: only 1 star out of objective comparison to the other books i’ve read. not personal — just not as great as the classics, of course

went to barnes and noble yesterday and the author was there promoting this book so i bought it bc it genuinely looked interesting. also since i just finished reading infinite jest i wanted to read another book about addiction

this was a very necessary story to tell and i couldn't put it down! also it was really really funny. you can tell the author is very insightful and has worked really hard to get where she is now. a very inspiring book.

this book wasn't very well written though. it's more of the plot that makes it interesting.

however this book just made me feel like i was friends with honesty. i just wanna sit down with her and hang out. i feel like if you read this book, go into it with the idea that it's like having a conversation with someone. rambling stream of consciousness. don't read this with the idea that you're going to be reading eloquent prose. it's basically like if one of your friends with a crazy life wrote a book. but then again, does every book really need to be a genuinely good book for it to be worthwhile? no! since this is more so like talking to a real person. very realistic.

also i couldn’t put this book down…very riveting…

[cassano · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an interesting story but it reads like a grade school personal narrative essay written within hours of the due date. The author comes off as scattered which makes sense considering how unclear her memories of this time must be but it doesn’t feel like a stylistic choice it just comes across as messy. I suppose the subtitle helps becuase seeing this as a diary keeps your expectations in check. (2.5 stars)