James Chess, Coastal Georgia Author, Releases Memoir “Love Is Not Enough” on Suicide, Addiction, and a Family’s Grief

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA

Author James Chess has released Love Is Not Enough (Parker Publishers), a memoir documenting the death by suicide of his youngest son, Danny, at age 33, and the year of grief his family of 8 navigated afterward.

Danny Chess was the youngest of 6 children raised in the Atlanta area. He played sports through high school, attended Georgia College in Milledgeville, and later managed one of the family’s 2 AAMCO transmission centers in metro Atlanta. He had struggled with depression and addiction for more than a decade, entering rehabilitation in 2013 and appearing, to those closest to him, to have stabilized. On September 13, 2024, Danny died by suicide. He was 33.

The book follows a roughly chronological structure, beginning with Danny’s childhood and the close bonds of a large Catholic family, then moving through his high school and college years, his time in rehabilitation, and the deceptions his addiction enabled in the years that followed. Chess writes with candor about the family’s experience during “Family Week” at Danny’s rehab facility in 2013, the gradual reemergence of Danny’s substance use, and an earlier crisis in February 2024 that the family interpreted as a cry for help. The title reflects the central tension of the book: Danny knew he was deeply loved by his parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews, but that knowledge alone could not overcome his depression and addiction.

Chess devotes sections of the book to suicide and mental health data, noting that suicide is among the leading causes of death in the United States, with approximately 50,000 deaths in 2023. He writes that most people who die by suicide have a treatable mental health condition, and that crises often pass when access to means is limited. The book urges readers who suspect someone is struggling not to let it go unaddressed. Chess also describes learning the phrase “died by suicide,” which frames the act as the result of a disease rather than a personal failing, a distinction he found both accurate and comforting.

Much of the second half of the memoir focuses on how the Chess family processed their grief. Chess and his wife, Marybeth, leaned on daily routines, particularly their morning beach walks on St. Simons Island, and on each other. Their children took varying paths to acceptance. Chess also writes about what he calls “The Dead Son Effect,” the invitations, phone calls, and acts of kindness from friends and community members that followed the loss. He credits full disclosure about the circumstances of Danny’s death, including the addiction, depression, and suicide, with helping the family move forward and connecting them with others who had experienced similar losses.

“This book is about more than our son Danny’s death,” Chess writes. “We thought he’d beaten depression and addiction, but sadly, it was more than he could overcome. If you think someone is having issues, I’d urge you not to let it lie. Get them to talk to somebody. We thought Danny was ‘doing great,’ and likely misread the room. Hopefully, there are helpful lessons for anyone reading this.”

Love Is Not Enough is available through Amazon and other major book retailers. Chess’s previous books, Beers at the Nifty 2024, Just Lucky to be Here, and Queenie and PA: Adventures in Grandparenting and Other Topics, are also available on Amazon.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

About the Author

James Chess is an author and retired business professional who spent 35 years with the Coca-Cola Company. He lives in St. Simons Island, Georgia, with his wife, Marybeth. Chess writes a weekly Sunday column at BeersattheNifty.com, covering topics ranging from family life to current events, where he has published more than 300 posts. His previous books are collections drawn from those writings. Love Is Not Enough is his first full-length memoir.

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