Finding a place to feel safe
A childhood memory of nights shaped by alcoholism, and the inner refuge that helped Keith endure them.
A memoir. A family. A way forward.
Some family stories
take a lifetime
to tell.
Growing up with an alcoholic parent leaves stories we don’t always know how to tell. In Shadows of Sobriety, I begin telling mine—through memories of family, the questions that stayed with me, and the faith that helped me move forward.
From Chapter 7: a father’s medals
From Chapter 7
“One October day in 2024, an envelope arrived from the U.S. Navy Personnel Command. It had taken nearly five years since I’d first requested them, but there in my hands were my father’s World War II commendations: the Air Medal 2, the American Campaign Medal, and his Honorable Discharge. I held them quietly, feeling the weight of what they represented – not just his service in war, but the battles he fought long after the war ended, the ones between him and the world, between him and me.”
“Keith Burton has written the most honest memoir I’ve ever read.”Billy Shore · Author & founder of Share Our Strength
Hello, I’m Keith
A life is more than
its hardest chapters.
I’ve spent much of my life helping others find the words. Writing this book meant finding my own voice.
These pages return to a childhood shaped by alcoholism, the silences in my family, and my search for understanding. They also make room for faith, gratitude, and the people who helped me along the way.
I’m sharing what I’ve lived and what I’m still learning. Perhaps something here will speak to your own story.
Keith
More about my story ↗Passages from the memoir
Listen to the story.
Three short passages from the audiobook version of Shadows of Sobriety. A childhood memory, a family discovery, and the things we carry.
A family story comes to light
A walk through a cemetery with his mother opens a door to family history Keith had never known.
The weight of my father’s medals
An envelope of wartime commendations brings Keith face to face with his father’s service, their distance, and the memories he still carries.
Beyond the pages
Stories worth sitting with.
Family & recovery · Daily Herald
Rewriting pain
into healing
A father, a son, and a long drive that made room for an honest conversation.
Read the essay →Memory & forgiveness · Reflection
The Silent
Weight of Valor
My father’s medals, the distance between us, and the questions that remained.
Read the reflection ↗own words.
Watch & listen · Author introduction
The story
behind the book
Why I wrote Shadows of Sobriety, and what I hope sharing it might make possible.
Watch the introduction ↗If something here feels familiar,
you’re welcome to stay awhile.
Read a passage. Listen to a story. Or spend some time with the book that brought these memories into the light.
Find your copy ↗