Books
Written by Cherry Parker
My journey as an author spans both the craft world and life experiences. After my original four cross stitch books with Reed Publishing went out of print, I self-published four new cross stitch pattern collections, bringing fresh Kiwi-inspired designs to stitchers worldwide.
Beyond the craft room, I've written three books drawn from personal and family experiences. "Living with an Alcoholic Husband" has touched the lives of over 12,000 readers, followed by its companion guide "How Can I Help My Alcoholic Husband?" My most recent work, "To My Darling Wife," shares a deeply personal piece of family history through my uncle's letters from the Italian Campaign of 1943-1945.
Living with an Alcoholic Husband
“To me the sound of a metal bottle cap unscrewing against a glass bottle is the worst sound in the world. To my husband it was heaven”.
I know the complex emotions and challenges of loving someone who struggles with alcohol dependency. The guilt we carry, the secrets we keep, and that desperate desire to help – these are feelings so many of us know all too well.
This isn't just a book of sympathy; it's a pathway to clarity.
Through my own journey, I've learned that while we didn't cause our partner's drinking and can't control it, we do have choices about our own lives. In these pages, I'll show you how to:
Break free from the cycle of blame and self-doubt
Recognise patterns in alcoholic relationships
Make informed decisions about your own wellbeing
Find support and understanding in shared experiences
Take steps towards positive change, whatever that means for you
With over 12,000 readers, I continue to hear how this book resonates with people seeking answers, understanding, and a way forward. Whether you're questioning your situation or looking for guidance, I hope my words offer you both validation and hope.
"How Can I Help My Alcoholic Husband?"
Like you, I've asked these questions countless times. When someone we love is in the grip of alcoholism, we desperately search for answers.
After years of experience and research, I wrote this book to help untangle the complex web of alcohol dependency.
In these pages, I explore the puzzling questions that keep us awake at night:
Why do some people become alcoholics while others don't? What drives that overwhelming compulsion to drink?
Why don't our desperate attempts to help make a difference?
And perhaps most heartbreakingly – if they love us, why don't they just stop?
I delve into why traditional approaches sometimes fall short, and why the craving for alcohol often intensifies over time.
But this isn't just about understanding the problem – it's about finding real solutions. I share carefully researched resources, including books and websites that offer promising health plans with proven success rates.
To My Darling Wife
When we discovered my Uncle Henry's wartime letters, each one carefully numbered and preserved in its original envelope, we uncovered more than family history – we found a living, breathing story of devotion spanning the years 1943 to 1945.
Every letter opens with "To My Darling Wife" and closes with "Your loving husband, Henry" – bookends of affection wrapped around snapshots of daily life during the Italian Campaign.
While history tells us how the war ended, these letters capture something more precious: moments as they were lived, when tomorrow wasn't guaranteed and every letter home might be the last.
Through Uncle Henry's words, we experience the texture of wartime life: the mates he served with, the presents he crafted or bought, the taste of army rations, the kindness of locals, and the landscape of a country at war.
He wrote about everything except his location – a reminder of the secrecy that shrouded military operations.
Some letters will make you smile, others might bring tears, but each one offers a window into a soldier's life: doing his duty for New Zealand while holding tight to home through ink and paper.
The parcels that crossed the oceans between them – precious soap and sweets from New Zealand, carefully chosen gifts from Italy – carried more than their contents. They carried hope, connection, and most importantly, love.
This isn't a deliberate historical record; it's something far more intimate. It's a husband writing home, staying connected across vast distances, one carefully penned letter at a time.
In sharing these letters, I hope to honour not just Uncle Henry's memory, but the enduring power of love in times of war.