Jenny Valentish presents a raw, but relatable, account of her encounter with addiction. Woman of Substances is eminently readable, honest and revealing, not just about Valentish’s personal life and traumatic events in it, but also about the politics of addiction and its treatment.

Full of interesting facts and analysis, Woman of Substances looks through a gendered lens at how alcohol and drug treatment – and even the science of it – is skewed towards the male body, even though there is extensive evidence that women are affected in quite different biological and neurological ways. Taking a fresh look at the effects of substances on the female body, both through her own experience and through interviews and research into the topic, Valentish examines the appalling lack of medical trial data on female subjects (even male rats are preferred because they don’t have the hormonal fluctuations of a female rat).

Well-researched and nuanced, it acknowledges the deep underlying triggers that can precipitate risk-taking or self-destructive behaviours, without becoming maudlin. Valentish describes the book as a research/memoir hybrid and it certainly does blend these two genres, in a way alleviating the intensity of its personal revelations by examining the scientific, social and cultural levers that also play a part in addiction. That said, there are some quite troubling and traumatic events in early childhood that characterise Valentish’s (and others’) descent into addiction; but she also articulates a clear path out of habitual use and the range of mechanisms she relied on to support that journey.

It certainly transcends mere memoir to weave an intricate and thought-provoking look at our society and its use of substances.

Anaya Latter