Even though Oren Elow had never tried heroin, he'd always heard that it was a gift from the goddess. So he didn't hesitate to try it when his buddies offered him his first hit of heroin-a hit that would make him a heroin slave and one that would define so many of his following years. In this memoir, Elow shares his life's narrative-from growing up in Louisiana with an alcoholic father and loving mother who later divorced, to his years on Boston's streets as a heroin addict, to his time spent behind bars for a variety of transgressions, and to the effect his addiction had on his wife and children. Through anecdotes and stories, Heroin addresses the stark realities of life as a junkie and a convict and provides insight into the mindset of an addict. Elow narrates a broad view of his life-fighting addiction and triumphing over it.