Local author to speak at Cook Park Library

Libertyville author Brenda Wilhelmson will read from her new book, “Diary of an Alcoholic Housewife,” at the Cook Park Library in Libertyville on Jan. 9.

The event is set for 7 p.m. at the library, 413 N. Milwaukee Ave. It is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, call (847) 362-2330 or go to webres.cooklib.org.

From the outside, it appeared Wilhelmson had it all. In truth, alcohol was taking over her life, until she made the critical decision to get sober.

“I knew millions of people were struggling like me,” Wilhelmson said. “I vowed to quit all the time, but I kept drinking. After trying many times to sober up on my own, I began attending recovery meetings but had trouble staying on track. I was listening to horror stories and telling myself I wasn’t that bad.”

Wilhelmson, a journalist who has written for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader and Huffington Post, kept diaries and blogged about her battle with alcohol addiction. She eventually turned those entries into her book.

Through her blog, she found many people who related to what she wrote.

“I wanted to give other high-functioning alcoholics something to relate to, an insider’s view of getting sober,” Wilhelmson said.

Books will be available for purchase, courtesy of Lake Forest Bookstore.