About the Book

What does it take to fight your inner demons? How the F*ck would I Know? is a raw, visceral memoir about breaking free from addiction and dealing with the aftermath of trauma, a process that pushes the author to her absolute limits in heartrending detail.

Now in her seventies, Kate Rowe revisits her past, recounting the devastating effects of drug and alcohol addiction. Migrating to Australia in 1971 as a “Ten Pound Pom” at the age of twenty, she is determined to turn over a new leaf. However, starting afresh is much harder than it seems, and she has to face and overcome many obstacles.

I was immediately won over by the candid, no-nonsense tone of the narrative. An example of this is Rowe’s frank admission that “I had no ability to say no to sex, nor to alcohol or drugs.” While there are specific reasons behind…