The Lois Wilson Story, Hallmark Edition: When Love Is Not Enough - Paperback

by William G. Borchert (Author)

Now a Hallmark Hall of Fame special, "When Love is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story, " this is the biography of Al-Anon creator and wife of AA cofounder Bill W.

Acclaimed author and screenwriter William G. Borchert explores the life and times of Lois Burnham Wilson, the spirited creator of Al-Anon and wife of Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson. From her privileged childhood in turn-of-the-century New York City to her socialite status as the 'Wall Street Wife' of the charismatic Bill in the roaring '20s to the couple's audacious crosscountry motorcycle excursions in the 1930s, Lois was every bit the adventure-seeker. But nothing could have prepared her for the chaos, anguish, and loss caused by Bill's seventeen-year descent into the depths of alcoholism.In this moving story, Borchert reveals how the couple rose from a life of despair to institute one of the twentieth century's most important social movements, and how Lois created a legacy of hope for millions of families devastated by addiction through her uncommon love and unshakable faith. Borchert drew from a series of exclusive personal interviews with Lois Wilson to write this definitive biography.

Author Biography

William G. Borchert William Borchert is the author of The Lois Wilson Story: When Love is Not Enough and teamed with Geno W. to write Sought Through Prayer and Meditation: Wisdom from the Sunday 11th Step Meetings at Wolfe Street Center in Little Rock. Borchert was nominated for an Emmy in 1989 for writing the highly acclaimed Warner Brothers/Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, My Name Is Bill W., which starred James Garner, James Woods, and JoBeth Williams. The film was based upon material gathered from personal interviews and in-depth research. The author began his career as a journalist, working first as a reporter for one of New York City's largest daily newspapers and also for a major media wire service. After writing for a national magazine and creating syndicated shows for radio, Bill became a partner at Artists Entertainment Complex, a new independent film and talent management company that went on to produce a number of box office hits. These included Kansas City Bomber starring Racquel Welch, Serpico starring Al Pacino, and Dog Day Afternoon, also starring Al Pacino. A member of The Writers Guild of America and a director of The Stepping Stones Foundation, the author continues his active writing career. Borchert and his wife, Bernadette split their time between New York and Little River, South Carolina, where they are frequently visited by their nine children and their twenty-three grandchildren. Q. Why did screenwriter Bill Borchert decide to write the biography of Lois Burnham Wilson? A. Shortly after moving into the new home Bill and his wife Bernadette had built in Little River, South Carolina in 2003, and while unpacking boxes in his new office there, Bill discovered some audio tapes he had made some years before when interviewing Lois Wilson for a movie he was writing about the birth of Alcoholics Anonymous. He had all but forgotten them. Sticking one of the tapes into his tape player, he soon came to realize that little of what Lois had shared with him about her own painful experiences that resulted from her husband's terrible ordeal with alcoholism had been used in the film he wrote called, "My Name Is Bill W." the Warner Brothers/Hallmark. Hall of Fame movie starred James Woods, James Garner and JoBeth Williams. And even the scenes he had written that were filmed concerning her experiences and her co-founding the worldwide fellowship of Al-Anon were left on the cutting room floor. As a close friend of Lois Wilson's, Bill Knew her own personal story was moving and powerful and he believed that people the world over needed to hear it. Also, there had been five biographies written about her husband, Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, but not one about her. He felt the telling of her story was long over due. So he sat down and wrote the book, The Lois Wilson Story: When Love Is Not Enough. Author Home Page: http: //www.theloiswilsonstory.com