In an effort to bring my towering TBR shelves into some kind of manageable order, I am utilizing Libby (my library’s app) to access audio versions of books I already own. Many of these books have been on the shelf an embarrassing length of time, so listening to them on my daily walks eases my shame. 😉 Leaving Yesterday by Kathryn Cushman is one I finished recently. A thoughtful and sometimes hard to read book, it made me examine my own trust in God. See all the details below.
Alisa Stewart feels like she’s lost two sons: her youngest to a terrible tragedy and her eldest, Kurt, to a life ruined by addiction. But now Kurt has checked himself into rehab and found a healing faith that seems real. It’s like he’s been raised from the dead. Then a detective arrives at Alisa’s door asking questions about a murder — the death of a drug dealer before Kurt entered rehab. Alisa fears losing her son again, and when she finds evidence linking him to the killing, she destroys it. Her boy is different now. He’s changed and deserves a second chance. But when another man is charged with the crime, Alisa finds herself facing an impossible choice: be silent and keep her son or give up everything for the truth.
Kathryn Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy. She is the acclaimed author of ten novels. Kathryn and her family make their home in Santa Barbara, California.
My Impressions:
The tragic murder of a son sets events for Alisa Stewart and her family. Leaving Yesterday explores the aftermath of such an event. A marriage that is fractured, another son who spirals into drug abuse, and a mistrust of God’s ability to do the right thing all play a role in the actions of main character Alisa. I have to say that this book was hard for me to read. No, it wasn’t graphic in any way, but it was very real. I could see how the bad choices Alisa made would impact the outcome of her story and could do nothing to stop her! It certainly made me think. Alisa believes in God with her whole heart, but when it comes right down to it, she feels that she knows best how to handle the tough situations her family face. Boy, can I relate! Maybe that was why it was so hard to read. It laid bare my tendency to manage the world around me to reflect how I want things to be. Like Alisa, it never works out well! Cushman did a good job of showing how one deceit leads to another, and the barriers that our actions can put up in our relationship with God. The audiobook was well-done and kept me engaged. With its many spiritual themes, Leaving Yesterday would make a great choice for a book club.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(I downloaded the audiobook from Libby. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
I could see how this would be hard to read. I was thinking the same thing as I read the description. It is so hard to see our kids suffer and often we think we know better than God. Yikes! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.