THIRTY-THOUSAND STEPS

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A December pick: Lambda Literary, Book Riot, and Good Morning America

"Keefe’s remembrances of her brother are touching, and her explanation of the science of addiction and medical professionals’ failure to treat it as a medical condition and not a personal vice give broader context to Matt’s story. The result is a poignant exploration of addiction and loss."

– Publishers Weekly

"A searing, emotional and powerful look at the love between siblings and the disastrous effect drugs can have on a family… An exploration of everything from religion and sexuality to physical fitness and grief, this redemptive tale is a must-read."

– Good Morning America

"Thirty-Thousand Steps is a moving memoir about running and addiction and grief."

– Book Riot

"It is somehow hilarious, charming, delightful, and inspiring despite the fact that, well, it's mostly about addiction and death... A crucial story about grief, addiction, and family that will resonate with just about everyone."

– Boing Boing

“A beautiful tribute to a lost brother and to running toward, not away from, our lives.”

– Maia Szalavitz, New York Times-bestselling author of Undoing Drugs and Unbroken Brain

“Jess Keefe’s debut memoir is a beautifully written, heartbreaking, and hopeful journey that peels back the misunderstood layers of addiction’s impact on those most affected — loved ones. Thirty-Thousand Steps is a powerful reminder that there is life and purpose after loss.” 

– Ryan Hampton, addiction recovery advocate and bestselling author of American Fix and Unsettled

“A lot has been written about the opioid epidemic but nothing as tender as Jess Keefe’s debut. Blending family portrait, journalism, and diary-like vignettes documenting her runner’s highs (and lows), Keefe reminds us that beneath all the statistics and headlines surrounding addiction are real humans caught in the tentacles of a relentless, complicated beast. Writing about grief is tricky business and writing about drug addiction is perhaps trickier, but Thirty-Thousand Steps does the job beautifully. As someone who lost my dad to alcohol addiction 14 years ago, this book broke my heart into a thousand pieces and then slowly, delicately put it back together again.” 

—Tessa Miller, author of What Doesn’t Kill You: A Life with Chronic Illness—Lessons from a Body in Revolt

"Keefe offers a clear-eyed view of addiction, its roots and its treatments, all while condemning the criminalization and moralizing that keeps people shamed and sick. With great care, she shows us that it's possible to survive the unimaginable, revealing the pain in her grieving body and reckoning with the enormity of loss by investigating how it happened. This book is a profound act of love, a hand to hold in the dark, and a road map out of hell." 

– Leigh Cowart, author of Hurts So Good