Sects, Drugs & Rock n Roll
About
Sects, Drugs, & Rock n Roll is a fearless, pulse-pounding memoir of a woman who chased music, love, and God across decades-discovering that every detour, heartbreak, and miracle was shaping her into who she was meant to become. Born in 1954, Debra J. Cohen came of age with the rise of television, the explosion of New Wave music, and a culture spinning in every direction. From belting songs in her lavender childhood bedroom to performing in Boston's underground clubs, Debra lived for the stage-until life pushed her into deeper, stranger territories: spiritual awakenings, toxic relationships, miraculous healings, and the long road toward forgiving the people who wounded her most.
But this isn't just a story about survival. It's about a woman who refused to stop searching-searching for her voice, her God, her purpose, and the love she withheld from herself for too long.
With humor, grit, and unflinching honesty, Debra invites readers into a journey that proves it's never too late to heal, to rise, and to rewrite your own story.
If you've ever lost yourself-and dared to find your way back-this book was written for you.
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Praise for this book
Debra Cohen's Sects, Drugs and Rock N Roll is a raw, riveting memoir of survival, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of meaning. From the innocence of suburban Bostin in the 1960s to the raw energy of Nashville's blues bars and the spiritual stillness of Jerusalem, Cohen chronicles a life shaped by longing; for love, belonging, and meaning.
The book opens with a poignant portrait of childhood, where Beatlemania becomes a refuse amid family fractures and emotional neglect. What follows is a candid journey through adolescence, addiction, and heartbreak, culminating in a harrowing LSD experience that becomes a turning point toward faith. Cohen's honesty is striking; she does not romanticize her past but examines it with clarity and compassion, weaving cultural history with psychological insight.
One of the memoir's most compelling threads is its exploration of neurodivergence. Cohen reframes traits once dismissed as flaws - sensitivity, intensity, and creative obsession - as signs of a mind wired differently, offering readers a lens of empathy and understanding. Her prose is rich with sensory detail: the scent of autumn leaves, the shimmer of lavender fields, and the haunting cry of loons on Golden Pond. These moments elevate the narrative beyond recollection into meditation, making the reader feel the texture of her transformation.
While the book covers vast terrain - rock-and-roll dreams, spiritual awakenings, cross-cultural marriage, and healing - it never loses its heartbeat: the enduring power of music and grace to restore what life has broken. At times sprawling, the story mirrors the complexity of a life lived fully, with all its detours and revelations.
I recommend this book for all readers who love memoirs that blend cultural history, spirituality, and psychological depth. Fans of Patti Smith's Just Kids or Glennon Doyle's Untamed will find Cohen's story unforgettable; a testament to resilience and the song that never stops playing within.