Pete Doherty: My Prodigal Son

Book excerpt: For over three years Jacqueline Doherty has been watching her rock star son's messy descent into drug addiction. Every step of the way has been charted by a hungry media. And every step of the way has been agony for a loving mum. Pete Doherty's celebrity means that his addiction has become public property. But Jacqueline is a private person and her painful account is that of any mum - or any parent - trying to help a child in trouble. This is the compelling story of Pete's childhood, his burgeoning talent, his success as a musician and his drug addiction, set against the backdrop of his loving relationship with his mother and his family. It is a moving memoir of how a happy, middle-class family is coping with a family member opting to love drugs more than he loves them, or himself. It is a memoir that will offer hope to other mothers and families in a similar situation.