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A Son’s Addiction. A Mother’s Heartbreak. A Family’s Crisis. As the wife of a prominent city attorney and the mother of two teenage children on the brink of adulthood, Glennis Harmon lives the kind of successful, high-profile life that many people envy. But when nineteen-year-old Jacob is drawn into substance abuse, Glennis’ “perfect” world shatters like a crystal vase rocked from its once-steady shelf. Glennis struggles to understand the response of her family as they seek to support Jacob’s recovery. Her husband appears more concerned with protecting his image than with finding help for their troubled son, but Glennis becomes determined to save Jacob no matter what the cost. Stepping into a rescuer role, she unintentionally puts her relationship with her older daughter, Sarah, and her already strained marriage on the line–and a revelation about her husband will push her to the brink of what she can bear. How far should a mother go to save her child? A compelling, compassionate, and ultimately hopeful novel about the impact of substance abuse and addiction, *Crystal Lies* is an intimate portrayal of one mother’s attempt to simultaneously love, trust, and let go. *From the Trade Paperback edition.* ### From Booklist *Starred Review* Carlson's *Crystal Lies* brings to life the horror of crystal methamphetamine addiction. Hapless Glennis Harmon, who *thought* she was a typical suburban wife and mother, wakes up one day to find her resentful teenage son, Jacob, addicted to meth, the "poor man's cocaine." In the bargain, Glennis' high-rolling husband is having an affair. Carlson's story is as much about a middle-aged woman's melancholy coping as it is about drugs, but Carlson makes the point that an addiction has ripple effects: on an indulgent mother; a self-righteous sister; and a stern, let-the-chips-fall-where-they-may father. Carlson provides no easy answers; instead, she offers a realistic portrait of addictive behavior, the trap of enabling, and the always incomplete process of recovery. *Crystal Lies* isn't as clever as Carlson's portrait of the ravages of schizophrenia, *Finding Alice*, but it's every bit as valuable for bewildered parents--and therapists. *John Mort* *Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved* ### Review “Raw, real, and provocative, *Crystal Lies *thrusts us into a world inhabited by more people than we may realize on the surface. This account of one mother’s struggle for the healing of her drug-addicted son speaks to anyone who has ever loved anyone else. Melody Carlson never fails to drag us out of our Christian easychairs and right into the coals of the confusing culture in which we all find ourselves. She never fails to reveal that place of compassion within each of us. Excellent.” –Lisa Samson, author of *The Church Ladies* and *Tiger Lillie* “As an addiction specialist, I was moved by *Crystal Lies*. With great confidence, I can say that Melody Carlson’s story will enlighten, encourage, and empower you. Read this book; walk through its pages toward healthy God-directed relationships.” –Gregory L. Jantz, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director of The Center for Counseling & Health Resources, Inc. “An honest, doesn’t-pull-any-punches, look at the reality of addiction and codependency in Christian families. Told in Carlson’s adept style, this is a novel that will lead readers into the light of a powerful God who stands firm and loves beyond all measure and who delights in meeting His children inside the world’s most impenetrable, convoluted issues. I found myself praying Carlson’s prayers over my own children as I lay in bed. Read, enjoy, and–most important–pass this along to everyone you know who is struggling with addiction.” –Deborah Bedford, author of *If I Had You, Just Between Us *and *When You Believe * “‘Crystallize: to coat with sugar.  To give a definite and permanent form.’  So says the *American Heritage Dictionary.  *Melody Carlson’s *Crystal Lies *creates a permanent image of a family in pain and the various ways they c...