'I'M HUNGRY, DADDY: A TRUE STORY'

by Cliff Nichols

In the tradition of Don't Let Her See Me Cry and The Long Way Home, a starkly beautiful and inspirational true story of the power of love - and how hope can be found in the darkest places. As a boy growing up in during the Depression, Cliff Nichols watched alcohol rob his mother of her hope, her beauty, her life. And he vowed he'd never touch a drop.Until one night, at the age of nineteen, he said to a mate, 'One beer can't hurt, can it?' By the age of thirty-six Cliff is homeless, shattered and walking skid row. His talents and dreams in ruins, his life has become an endless round of drinks in dingy inner city hotels and flophouses, parks, railway platforms and even gutters. And by his side is his small daughter Helen. The unwavering love of Helen and the loyalty and support of his father sustain Cliff throughout his long and heartbreaking battle with alcohol. Finally, he finds the courage to not only break the cycle of alcoholism but the cycle of his loneliness and fear. As he begins to rebuild his shattered life, Cliff meets a woman whose love brings the healing, inner peace and sense of belonging he has been searching for all his life.

Genres: Nonfiction

330 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

Reviews

[Tami · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great insight into the life of addicts - alcohol and gambling - and how it can ultimately destroy families and lives. Did get a bit long winded in some sections and tended to drone on but all in all not a bad read.

[S'hi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opening with the scene of his being forced to walk out a drunken stupor, Cliff Nichols shows the depths to which he had sunk from his gregarious youth. Without sentimentality he presents his own understanding of the development of the depth of his despair and how it continued to haunt him until he learnt to face up to it. Part of his savior was his young daughter, Helen, who remained by his side through periods of homelessness and drunken blackouts.

Surprisingly Cliff always seemed to find people who loved him – but he found it hard to accept that love. The journey to understanding was a long a trying one, and equally surprisingly, triumphant when he could share with someone else who had managed to get themselves through a traumatic past as well.

Although he was reluctant to share his own story – largely because he has always been reluctant to share his own true feelings – the friends who encouraged him to write this autobiography have done a great service to many people who grapple with understanding the personal prisons of others. There is no easy way to tell what, or who, or when the turning point will be. There can only every be the constant hope of watching and trying to be there for each other.

In many ways Cliff was lucky to have entertained others and developed skills in this way. But he also had his own drive to make his own way in the world as best he could rather than rely upon others. While there were times when he would have been too confusing or demanding on those around him, his periods of generosity seem to have balanced out enough that he got through.

Many others are not so lucky. Many others do not experience the moments of kindness which buoy them up until they can return such kindness to others. And the difference between the toll that drugs take on people seems more cruel and harsh than alcohol, so the fear and mystery around dealing with others with these mixed problems these days may seem more daunting. But the underlying message is that love and human kindness can reach through into the darkest places. And if you need to believe that is a miracle of a God’s love – so be it. The persistence of love is still delivered through the acts of one human to another, and we all can practice that.