Christian Recovery Reviews/September 2007 www.ChristianRecoveryReviews.com Featured Review Unmasked: One Soul’s Journey from Anonymity to Identity Paige DeHart Every now and then a book comes along that needs to be read carefully, word for word, and Unmasked, by Paige DeHart, is one of those books that is worth the careful reading. Paige’s Unmasked deserves reading more than once for a more thorough understanding of addiction and the 12 Steps recovery program that has worked for her (and others). Unmasked will help many people; including the struggling addict, the person in recovery, the families of those struggling with addiction, and leaders working in recovery (whether inside or outside the church). For those who have worked or understand the 12 Steps, in some sense Paige’s book is a very public Fourth and Fifth Step. One feels the heartache, pain, hopelessness, and hopefulness of someone struggling to find freedom from addictions and compulsions that had their beginnings in early childhood. One discovers that the road to recovery is not always a steep, uphill climb to the top, but can be a terrifying roller coaster ride of ecstatic success and hope, then a fall and decline that makes recovery seem impossible, and then another hopeful round of sobriety, followed by another drunken episode or destructive compulsive behavior that makes recovery seem even more remote or unlikely. Anyone who has struggled to overcome any problems (and who hasn’t), and anyone who has loved and worked with addicts will understand emotionally and intellectually the road to recovery that Paige traveled. Those seeking hope will find hope from reading Paige’s book. Those struggling to overcome addictions, compulsions, dependencies, or other weaknesses can be helped by reading Paige’s book, and will perhaps understand how and why the 12 Steps is a proven and God-given program that can and must be (in some way or another) traveled to find and maintain recovery and serenity. In Unmasked , Paige has shared with us her private journal from 1980 to 2004. She makes public the most important excerpts from her journal followed by quotations that relate to her entry. Her quotations need time to read, and take time to think about and learn from if you plan to reflect on how they relate to her experience. Her journal reveals Paige’s true thoughts and feelings as she started down the road to destruction, traveled down that road, tried to take another road, took a wrong turn, got back on the right road (only to be misled again), and then finally began to walk consistently down the road of recovery – one day at a time. A great value of her approach in Unmasked  lies in her actually sharing her thoughts and feelings at the time, rather than writing a book of mature reflection that could not accurately describe her true thoughts and feelings while traveling her twelve step journey to recovery. If you really want to understand Paige, her problems, and the helpful resources she offers with her quotations at the end of each journal reading, you will take your time in reading her book and read it more than once. As you read her book, keep reading the Bible, keep praying, keep reading your own devotional or recovery literature, and keep going to meetings (or get going), for Paige’s book can be depressing and frightening at times as you identify more and more with her and her struggles, defeats, and seeming successes (this is not a negative comment, but an encouragement to keep working your own program and not get discouraged over her struggles). Paige does eventually find and travel the road to serenity and recovery, but you may begin to wonder if she ever will and when she will. As you read Paige’s book, you will discover reason after reason to keep working the 12 Steps, and if you have a loved one in recovery (or needing to be), then you will learn the value of participating regularly in meetings such as AA or Al-Anon or other Serenity Groups. I applaud Paige’s honesty and humility in sharing Unmasked with us. You can tell a lot of prayer and effort went into a very well written and published book that deserves our attention. Paige DeHart is now an ordained minister and the co-founder of More that Conquerors Through Christ Jesus, a Christian Twelve Step Ministry. You can learn about Paige and More that Conquerors Through Christ Jesus from www.dehartministries.com. Review provided by: Christian Recovery Reviews www.ChristianRecoveryReviews.com L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.