“Life is full of twists and turns, tears, and lots of craziness. We’ve learned, thanks to the grace of God, how to do this thing called ‘LIFE’. Just keep flourishing in whatever comes your way because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!” ––KAY WHITAKER
THIS MIGHT BE THE STORY OF SOMEONE JUST LIKE YOU. Flourish Because is the memoir of Kay Whitaker, a person whose name is not recognizable and who has no claim to fame. This is a story of dashed hopes, faith restored, dreams fulfilled, and ultimately a woman’s quest for truth. While the author understood early on that, in order for her life to change, she had to change - the question remained, but how? Repeated mistakes and choices with tragic circumstances are what led her to a place where she ultimately learned it is God Who leads, and it is her choice to follow. With every experience she discovers from where her strength comes. She learns how not to be overrun by dysfunctional people who come into her life. She learns to say “no.” She learns to overcome and flourish in life when all else tells her to settle and wallow in her failures. We all share life’s major events...birth, death, love, marriage, children, work. Our choices and responses to the circumstances that come and go in our life determine our level of satisfaction. When it is all said and done, what is left is - YOU. What are your choices? Are you going to keep treading in the same circle with no relief or are you going to say, “Yes, I want to start ‘flourishing’ in life”?
FLOURISH BECAUSE
BY KAY WHITAKER ‧ RELEASE DATE: AUG. 22, 2023
A powerful, deeply religious memoir and moving tribute from a mother to her deceased son.
Adevout Christian woman navigates tragedy, divorce, love, and loss in Whitaker’s memoir.
The author opens her memoir with a story from 2010, when she received a call about her son, James, who had climbed up a 60-foot billboard in a state of mental distress. As television news cameras, police, and onlookers gathered around the billboard, the author prayed for God to “let your angels fall all around him and lift him up”; shortly thereafter, rainclouds rolled in, and James climbed down to safety. This introductory story sets the tone for the rest of the memoir, which balances painful accounts of divorce and death with an optimistic trust, stemming from Whitaker’s Christian faith, in the power of God. Subsequent chapters walk readers through the major events of the author’s life, beginning with her childhood in the 1950s as the daughter of a geologist who moved their family across the United States and Canada from one oil patch to the next. Her son, James, characterized by his sweet demeanor and later struggles with mental health crises, plays a central role in the book, which culminates in his death via a self-inflicted stabbing; per the author, he was “under the influence of the Destroyer, Satan.” Failed relationships with men make up another major theme, as the 51-year-old author found herself “single again” in 2003 (she found an alternative to meeting single men in bars when she joined the American Singles Golf Association). An outgoing, straight-shooting, fifth-generation Texan, Whitaker is a talented storyteller who blends blunt honesty with heartfelt compassion and an ample assortment of Bible verses. Quintessentially Texan, the author was initially encouraged to write the book after her “gun guru” (a family friend from whom she purchased a pink Glock) was told by “the Lord” that Whitaker needed to tell her story. The book’s distinctly evangelical perspective may not resonate with all readers, but the author’s tribute to her son is profound. Whitaker’s engaging and personal narrative is accompanied by an ample assortment of family photos and snapshots.
A powerful, deeply religious memoir and moving tribute from a mother to her deceased son.
Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2023
ISBN: 9781956370010
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Carpenter's Son Publishing
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2023
Review Program: KIRKUS INDIE
Categories:
BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | PHILOSOPHY & RELIGION | GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
