When a woman questioning her marriage encounters the kind and steadfast pastor of her small town, they are both forced to reconsider their pasts, their faith, and their future
Robert Glory has never quite felt as though he fit in the small town of Esau, Michigan, but he finds solace in his role as the pastor of Esau Baptist and in his spare, orderly routine. When Susan Shearer arrives at his church seeking the strength to stay true to her increasingly volatile husband, neither expect that their immediate connection will upend both of their lives. As their relationship deepens and Susan’s life at home becomes more unstable, Robert and Susan are forced to confront the wounds that have shaped them and discover if they still have the power to change.
Out of Esau, the debut novel by Michelle Webster-Hein, comes out on October 11, 2022. Counterpoint Press provided an early galley to review.
As a Michigan resident for almost a decade, I am always instantly drawn to books set in the state. It helps me learn about the area through the words and narratives of authors. The author even comes from here. Unfortunately, other than a couple references this story really could take place in any northern state and would still work.
The story is told from five different perspectives (Robert's, Susan's, her husband Randy's, their young daughter Willa's, and Robert's estranged mother Leotie's). This can either work very well or very poorly for me, as a reader. Here, the author has done a good job establishing the "voices" of each of the five so that it is easy to distinguish from whose eyes the reader is viewing the most recent actions.
I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by some of the unexpected turns this story took. The characters also act in very realistic manners. It kept me wanting to read more. And though the story inevitably ended in a way I thought it might, it was an interesting read to get to that point.
Highly recommended for those readers who like contemporary, realistic fiction.
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