The Yellow Dirt Road

The Yellow Dirt Road is an inspiring account of survival and success against overwhelming odds. Jim M.'s memoir is a story for our times, a story told with levity and compassion by a man who overcame the unfathomable hardships of crippling polio, alcoholism and the sudden death of his young first wife and their unborn son. With humor reminiscent of Mark Twain, Jim's remembrances chronicle the journey of a man propelled by an indomitable spirit, a journey that travels from the simplicities of a dirt farm to the heart of a democracy. Along the way, Jim became a federal prosecutor appointed by Robert F. Kennedy, a Superior Court judge appointed by Governor Jerry Brown, and an elected state senator. With a remarkably grateful heart and an unwavering commitment to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, Jim has maintained more than forty-seven years of sobriety and, in the eighth decade of his life, continues to carry the message of recovery and hope to thousands of alcoholics around the country. There are jewels here, and laughter and tears, and in times of confusion, a kind of triumphant wisdom that keeps the compass pointing to a true north.

The Yellow Dirt Road is an inspiring account of survival and success against overwhelming odds. Jim M.'s memoir is a story for our times, a story told with levity and compassion by a man who overcame the unfathomable hardships of crippling polio, alcoholism and the sudden death of his young first wife and their unborn son. With humor reminiscent of Mark Twain, Jim's remembrances chronicle the journey of a man propelled by an indomitable spirit, a journey that travels from the simplicities of a dirt farm to the heart of a democracy. Along the way, Jim became a federal prosecutor appointed by Robert F. Kennedy, a Superior Court judge appointed by Governor Jerry Brown, and an elected state senator. With a remarkably grateful heart and an unwavering commitment to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, Jim has maintained more than forty-seven years of sobriety and, in the eighth decade of his life, continues to carry the message of recovery and hope to thousands of alcoholics around the country. There are jewels here, and laughter and tears, and in times of confusion, a kind of triumphant wisdom that keeps the compass pointing to a true north.

Jim M. was drunk from age twelve and disabled with polio from age seventeen. During the fifty-five years that he walked on crutches, Jim became a successful lawyer, state senator and judge. When he was thirty-three years old, he lost his first wife and unborn son in a devastating accident. Four years later against enormous odds, he sobered up through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous and for his memoir uses only his first name out of respect for the AA tradition of anonymity. In his eighth decade of life, Jim continues to carry AA's message of recovery, success and hope to thousands of alcoholics around the country.