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- Title: High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict’s Double Life
- Author: Tiffany Jenkins
- Narrator: Tiffany Jenkins
- Length: 08:54:35
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 18/06/2019
- Publisher: Random House (Audio)
- Genre: Biography & Memoir, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellness, Disorders & Diseases, Psychology, Memoir
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
As someone who’s spent years collecting stories in far-flung corners of the world, I’ve learned that the most powerful narratives often come from places of profound transformation. Tiffany Jenkins’ “High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict’s Double Life” is one such story – a memoir that hits with the visceral impact of a desert storm, leaving you forever changed by its passage.
Listening to Jenkins narrate her own harrowing journey through opioid addiction feels like sitting in that dimly lit Oaxacan courtyard where abuelas spin tales of survival. There’s an intimacy to her voice that no professional narrator could replicate – the slight crack when describing withdrawal, the dark humor tingeing descriptions of rock bottom, the quiet awe of hard-won redemption. It reminds me of crossing the Atacama at dawn, where landscapes so brutal somehow become beautiful in their honesty.
Jenkins’ story unfolds with the relentless momentum of a crisis hurtling toward its inevitable conclusion. The contrasts are staggering: cheerleader captain turned felon, deputy sheriff’s girlfriend arrested by his colleagues, middle-class woman stealing to feed her addiction. What makes this audiobook exceptional is how Jenkins uses these contradictions to dismantle stereotypes about addiction. Her narration captures every layer – the shame, the desperation, the moments of dark comedy that addicts will recognize as survival mechanisms.
Three aspects make this audiobook stand out:
1. “”Authentic Narration””: Jenkins’ performance is raw and unvarnished. You hear her Florida roots in certain pronunciations, the emotional wear in her voice during jail scenes, the palpable relief when describing recovery. It’s the difference between reading about someone’s pain and hearing it catch in their throat.
2. “”Structural Brilliance””: The memoir avoids linear chronology, instead mimicking the fragmented consciousness of addiction. Audio enhances this with pauses and pacing that simulate memory recall – a technique that would fall flat in print but becomes immersive in Jenkins’ delivery.
3. “”Cultural Context””: Beyond personal story, Jenkins paints a devastating portrait of America’s opioid crisis. Her descriptions of pill mills and jailhouse detox should be required listening for policymakers.
Comparisons to “Orange Is the New Black” or “My Fair Junkie” don’t fully capture this work’s uniqueness. Where other addiction memoirs often romanticize or sensationalize, Jenkins maintains clear-eyed accountability without self-flagellation. Her background as a humorist (seen in her viral videos) surfaces in perfectly timed moments of levity that make the darkness bearable.
The audiobook’s production quality deserves mention – crisp audio that captures every whisper and laugh, subtle musical cues during transitions, and judicious use of silence that lets heavy moments breathe. At just over 9 hours, it’s paced for maximum impact without overstaying its welcome.
Potential listeners should know this isn’t an easy listen. Jenkins describes relapses, sexual exploitation, and rock bottoms with unflinching honesty. Yet within that brutality lies the book’s greatest strength – hope that feels earned rather than saccharine. Her recovery narrative avoids clichés, focusing instead on daily choices and hard-won self-forgiveness.
For those interested in similar works, I’d pair this with “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts” by Gabor Maté (for the science of addiction) or “Beautiful Boy” by David Sheff (for the family perspective). But Jenkins’ work stands apart as both cautionary tale and redemption song – a testament to how voice can elevate memoir into something transcendent.
With ears open to life’s hardest-won stories,
Marcus Rivera
