Once a Homecoming Queen

She’s funny. She’s redeemable. And she’s dying.

Once A Homecoming Queen is a humorous novel about addiction and redemption, featuring a 75-five-year-old, Francine Fisher-Reynolds-Richelli-Freeman, whose extreme alcohol consumption leads to a bevy of problems including her latest—a fall that leaves her with a broken neck, and compels her daughter and those who care about her to help Francine make peace with her past and reimagine her future.

Angry and resentful about how her life has turned out, Francine's humor is on the dark side, but she's likable and unforgettable—emotionally tender, loving, and authentic with an unflinching personality. Think Phyllis Diller on steroids. Having been a former drug and alcohol counselor, and as the adult child of an alcoholic, I wanted to write a uniquely entertaining story about addiction as it relates to family dynamics and dysfunction. Most books about addiction are nonfiction, specifically memoirs about much younger protagonists, or they're too heavy on psychology and are painful to read. I was drawn to write a story about an older, female alcoholic because their stories are not told.

Praise for Once a Homecoming Queen

“Joan Moran’s latest novel, Once A Homecoming Queen, is an insightful but heartbreaking story about one woman’s battle with addiction and its impact, not only on herself, but on all those who love her. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride through her life.”

—Nancy Cushing-Jones, Creative Projects Group President, Publishing, Media & Branding, Executive Producer

“. . . a powerful novel with a badly needed message. With more stories about elderly addiction it gets easier to help people in need. Before you get the chance to experience the film for yourself, get to know more about the writer behind it and learn what you can expect from the story right here.”

—Frankie Stein, Film Daily