Writing a Joyful Recovery Story with Kerri Maher

In this episode of Sisters in Sobriety, Sonia explores the connection between sobriety, creativity, and reinvention with Kerri Maher, the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller and The Kennedy Debutante. Kerri discusses her four years of sobriety and her deeply personal new novel, Summer of Love, set in California and centered on addiction, family, recovery, and hope.

What happens when someone’s drinking does not produce a cinematic rock bottom, but no longer feels sustainable? How can people find recovery support outside traditional 12-step programs? Sonia and Kerri discuss sober identity, online community, emotional sobriety, belonging, and the many different paths people can take toward changing their relationship with alcohol.

Kerri explains how The Luckiest Club helped her find her people, why sobriety and writing are both daily practices, and how greater clarity changed her creative and professional decisions. She also shares how The Artist’s Way, morning pages, artist dates, and an “adjacent art” with no pressure attached helped her develop Summer of Love.

Kerri’s story reveals a quieter, joyful vision of recovery: clear mornings, renewed confidence, richer emotions, and the freedom to experience places such as Napa beyond their drinking culture. She also reflects on generational addiction, “good girl” identity, sober travel, and writing a novel that allows recovery to be hopeful rather than punishing.

This is Sisters in Sobriety, the support community that helps women change their relationship with alcohol. Check out our substack for extra tips, tricks and resources.

Kerri’s Links

📚 Summer of Love📸 Instagram: @kerrimaherwriter

SIS Links

💌 Sisters In Sobriety Substack – where the magic (and the mocktail recipes) happen📬 Sisters In Sobriety Email📸 Sisters In Sobriety Instagram🌐 Kathleen’s Website Kathleen does not endorse any products mentioned in this podcast📸 Kathleen’s Instagram

Timestamped Highlights

01:00 — Kerri introduces her sobriety and Summer of Love04:00 — The small moments that made Kerri question her drinking05:00 — An early 15-to-18-month period without alcohol08:00 — How The Luckiest Club began and became Kerri’s community10:00 — Finding accessible support during the sandwich-generation years14:00 — Is recovery’s “special sauce” the program or the community?17:00 — Emotional sobriety, anger management, and continued inner work19:00 — Writing and sobriety as practices built through repetition21:00 — How alcohol created subtle brain fog without stopping productivity26:00 — The personal origins of Summer of Love28:00 — Morning pages bring the book’s characters and plot together31:00 — Watercolor play as relaxing, pressure-free creativity33:00 — Writing about recovery as joyful rather than punishing35:00 — Clear mornings and dependable presence as everyday sober joy43:00 — Exploring generational patterns of addiction46:00 — Looking beyond wine culture in Napa Valley49:00 — Rediscovering California through food, landscape, and connection53:00 — Sober travel and experiencing mornings without a hangover54:00 — Kerri’s message to sober and sober-curious readers55:00 — Closing the conversation