Freely Sober - by Ericka Andersen (Paperback)

About the Book

"Get Honest about Your Relationship with Alcohol. Sharing a drink with friends or a glass of wine at dinner can be a nice way to enjoy God's good gifts. But what if these casual enjoyments turn into unhealthy habits? For many, drinking can easily become a dysfunctional coping mechanism or a dependency that's difficult to break. In Freely Sober, Ericka Andersen invites Christian women to reconsider their relationship with alcohol from a posture of honesty, curiosity, and self-compassion, offering empowering knowledge and trusted recovery principles for those curious about sobriety or seeking a way out of a habitual or destructive relationship with alcohol. Andersen vulnerably shares her own story of sobriety, reflecting on how her private drinking habits began impacting her faith and life. Through her honest account, she opens the door for sober curious women of faith to explore their drinking patterns and see clearly to choose what's best for them. Freely Sober features practical tools for growth: Includes reflection questions, action steps, and assessments designed to help readers see alcohol more clearly; faith-based guidance: Invites readers to draw closer to God in their sobriety journeys, leaning on the Holy Spirit and a supportive community for encouragement and accountability; accessible for a variety of stages: Great for those who are sober curious, questioning their habits, or who want to dig deeper into how alcohol affects their life and faith. Freely Sober charts a pathway to new habits, healing, and spiritual renewal through God's abundant grace for those looking for change. Whether you're struggling yourself with grey area drinking, are looking to support a friend or family member, or are a ministry leader looking for resources, Freely Sober offers wisdom and guidance for a way forward to freedom"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"Andersen offers important insights on how women's relationships with alcohol are shifting as they grapple with increased pressures at home and work, and her approach wisely utilizes faith as a recovery tool without positioning it as a cure-all... Women of faith will be empowered." --Publishers Weekly Review, September 2025

Get Honest about Your Relationship with Alcohol

Sharing a drink with friends or a glass of wine at dinner can be a nice way to enjoy God's good gifts. But what if these casual enjoyments turn into unhealthy habits? For many, drinking can easily become a dysfunctional coping mechanism or a dependency that's difficult to break.

In Freely Sober, Ericka Andersen invites Christian women to reconsider their relationship with alcohol from a posture of honesty, curiosity, and self-compassion, offering empowering knowledge and trusted recovery principles for those curious about sobriety or seeking a way out of a habitual or destructive relationship with alcohol.

Andersen vulnerably shares her own story of sobriety, reflecting on how her private drinking habits began impacting her faith and life. Through her honest account, she opens the door for sober curious women of faith to explore their drinking patterns and see clearly to choose what's best for them.

Freely Sober features:

• Practical Tools for Growth: Includes reflection questions, action steps, and assessments designed to help readers see alcohol more clearly
• Faith-Based Guidance: Invites readers to draw closer to God in their sobriety journeys, leaning on the Holy Spirit and a supportive community for encouragement and accountability
• Accessible for a Variety of Stages: Great for those who are sober curious, questioning their habits, or who want to dig deeper into how alcohol affects their life and faith

Freely Sober charts a pathway to new habits, healing, and spiritual renewal through God's abundant grace for those looking for change. Whether you're struggling yourself with grey area drinking, are looking to support a friend or family member, or are a ministry leader looking for resources, Freely Sober offers wisdom and guidance for a way forward to freedom.

"You are free to decide--honestly, thoughtfully--whether your life is better with or without it. You don't have to quit. You don't have to cut back. But you can. And you can do it on your own terms, not because anyone told you to, but because you're free to choose what serves you best. You can be freely sober." - Ericka Andersen, Freely Sober

Review Quotes

"Andersen offers important insights on how women's relationships with alcohol are shifting as they grapple with increased pressures at home and work, and her approach wisely utilizes faith as a recovery tool without positioning it as a cure-all... Women of faith will be empowered."----Publishers Weekly Review, September 2025

"Ericka Andersen has written one of the most important books for Christian women and drinking. It is kind, understanding, packed with not just knowledge but wisdom, and is the perfect resource for really anyone looking to change their relationship with alcohol. Whether you're hoping for big changes or small wins, this book and its thoughtful approach will help you. It's filled with thoughtful questions, helpful exercises, and practical advice from someone who has been exactly where you are . . . and still is. 10/10."

--Jonathon M. Seidl, author of Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic: A Candid Conversation on Drinking, Addiction, and How to Break Free

"It is time for us to have this much-needed conversation, and who better to lead us on this delicate journey than Ericka Anderson? Freely Sober carries a vulnerable strength that can only come from the heart of one who has truly been delivered from the prison of addiction. Through telling parts of her own story while weaving honest and strategic reflection for the reader, Ericka is a trustworthy confidant for those looking for hope and desperate for freedom."

--Natalie Runion, author of Raised to Stay

"Ericka Andersen brings a rare brilliance to the complex conversation around alcohol and faith, offering Christian women compassionate, grounded guidance through what can feel like a maze of mixed messages and emotions. Her writing is refreshingly vulnerable, deeply researched, and full of practical insight. I highly recommend Freely Sober to anyone who has ever questioned whether alcohol is adding to--or quietly subtracting from--their life. This is a conversation you deserve to have."

--Heather Harpham Kopp, author of Sober Mercies: How Love Caught Up with a Christian Drunk

"With incisive honesty wrapped in deep compassion, Ericka Andersen brings to light a conversation many Christians have been having in silence for years. Freely Sober doesn't bring shame or deliver ultimatums; it offers a lamp on the path toward freedom. With surgical precision, Ericka blends scientific rigor and scriptural clarity to expose the deeper reasons why we drink and how we heal. Whether you're rethinking your own choices around alcohol or trying to understand those of someone you love, this book will feel like a long-overdue dose of hope."

--W. Lee Warren, neurosurgeon and host of The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast

"Freely Sober is an invitation to step into more awareness, honest exploration, and inner wrestling concerning your relationship with alcohol. Ericka Andersen has a special way of articulating the nuances Christians feel when it comes to drinking without using legalism, labels, or rules. The message of this book is one of freedom and hope!"

--Jenn Kautsch, founder of the SoberSis Community and author of Look Alive, Sis

About the Author

Ericka Andersen is a journalist whose writing has appeared in Christianity Today, World Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. She is the author of Leaving Cloud 9 and Reason to Return: Why Women Need the Church and the Church Needs Women. She lives with her husband and two children in Indianapolis, Indiana.