(Steeplechase and BWF) Everything is Horrible and Wonderful by Stephanie Wittels Wachs - 4 stars

[Ellen]

Three days before her wedding Stephanie Wittels Wachs received a phone call from her younger brother Harris informing her that he was a drug addict and to please not tell their parents. What to do with such crushing information on the brink of what is supposed to be one of the happiest days of one's life. She was devastated but kept her brother's secret which would eventually come out and nearly destroy his family. Instead, his overdose from heroin is what destroyed the family. At only 30 years of age, Harris, a talented comedian, writer for several tv shows, most notably "Parks and Rec', only son of the Wittels and beloved brother of Stephanie, lay dead on the floor of his Los Angeles home.

Stephanie writes honestly about the period before and after the tragedy. Their childhood sounds nothing less than ideal and the closeness brother and sister shared is palpable. The birth of Iris, Stephanie's daughter, was hopefully the impetus for Harris to see a bright future for himself. Nothing was able to save him and it honestly did not seem that he ever truly wanted to stop using drugs. The grief Stephanie and her parents felt, and still feel, is completely overwhelming at times. It is hard not to shed a few tears reading this heartfelt tribute.