An Experiment in Compassion

Des Dillon

An astonishing story of a descent into hell and of the long painful attempt to crawl out from an addiction to alcohol and the wreckage that it causes in a working class West of Scotland community. The language is not for the easily offended, but if you let that put you off, you are missing a life-enhancing, life-affirming read. And it will be your loss.

Extract

The next week she came in with a bright face. Straight up to me and Danny.
- Let me see your arm.
She pushed Danny's sleeve up. There was the big scar.
- My signature, she said, and traced her finger round the scar. I looked at her and realised it was the beautiful doctor who sewed him up.
- And those, she pointed to my eyes, - they were either stunningly beautiful - or wildly insane.
- Insane, I said.
- Oh, I don't know.
She held my gaze and my heart punched my lungs so that I couldn't breathe.

Parallels