History
Pages - Who Wrote the Chapter to the Wives?
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A thank you to Crash B. who submitted the following question via
E-mail.
"Who wrote the Chapter to the Wives?"
Based on the readily available reference material, I would conclude that Bill Wilson
wrote the chapter of the "Big Book" titled: "To Wives".
- Chapter Eleven/'PASS IT ON' (p. 200)
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"Bill wrote at least ten of the opening chapters of the book; there is
some reason to believe that "To Employers" may have been written by Hank.
But there is no doubt about the authorship of "To Wives". Of that
chapter, Lois said, "Bill wrote it, and I was mad." She added, "I
wasn't so much mad as hurt. I still don't know why Bill wrote it. I've never really gotten
into it -- why he insisted upon writing it. I said to him, 'Well, do you want me to
write it?' And he said no, he thought it should be in the same style as the rest of the
book."
- Lois Remembers (pg. 113-14)
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"By then I had had my own awakening and realized how much the
understanding and loving cooperation of the wife could help the alcoholic in his newfound
sobriety. Earlier Bill and I had been puzzled and disappointed that not all the families
continued as happy as it seemed they should be, after the pink-cloud period experienced by
many new members had waned. We had begun to realize how distorted the relationships in
families of alcoholics could often be, how important it was for families to understand
about alcoholism and to rearrange their own thinking." "Therefore I had
expected Bill to ask me to ask me to write the chapter "To Wives" and
perhaps the following one, "The Family Afterward". When I shyly suggested
this, he said no; he thought the book, except for the stories, should all be written in
the same style. I have never known why he didn't want me to write about the wives, and it
hurt me at first; but our lives were so full that I didn't have time to think about it
much".
- DR. BOB and The Good Oldtimers (pg. 152)
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In the same letter,
[letter from Bill W. to Dr. Bob S., dated June, 1938]
Bill suggested that Anne have a chapter in the book to herself. "My feeling,"
said Bill, "is that Anne should do the one portraying the wife." Her
modesty--her inclination toward staying in the background--may have been the reason that
she did not write it. Lois did not write the chapter, either; she wasn't asked. When
she suggested that she do so, Bill said, "Oh, no. It should be in the same style
as the book."
Recently, Lois said, "I've always been hurt by it, and I still don't know why
Bill didn't ask me, although I never brought it up again."
Bill himself wrote the chapter that came to be called "To Wives," and
Marie B., the wife of a member from Cleveland, wrote a personal account for the story
section of the first edition."
Thanks for the question Crash.
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