Description

Throughout his college years, Toren Volkmann partied like there was no tomorrow, having what was supposed to be the time of his life. Like so many parents, his mother, Chris, overlooked Toren’s growing alcohol problem. But when he graduated, Toren realized he’d become a full-blown alcoholic. And he was not alone.

Considered a rite of passage, teenage drinking has skyrocketed to epidemic proportions, fostering a generation of young adults whose lives are already beginning to come apart under the strain. This book, written from the viewpoints of both mother and son, is a riveting, enlightening, and heartbreakingly true story of a family that was able to confront the fear, pain, and denial that threatened to destroy them—and survive the epidemic of teenage drinking that’s putting America’s future at risk.

About the Author

Chris Volkmann, a former classroom teacher, lives in Olympia, Washington. Chris stepped away from her career to parent three sons. She attended Toren’s college graduation having no clue her son was part of a not-so-hidden epidemic. She shares what every parent thinks but cannot always say.
Toren Volkmann (BA in psychology, former Peace Corps volunteer) lives one day at a time after successfully completing rehab and a six-month residence in a Florida halfway house.