Out of Esau

A Novel

By: Michelle Webster-Hein

Narrated by: Allyson Johnson

Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Told from five different perspectives—including Susan’s husband, Randy, her brilliant but high-strung young daughter, Willa, and Robert’s long-estranged mother, Leotie—Out of Esau is a visceral look at the dynamics of an abusive marriage, a nuanced portrait of faith and its loss, and a sweeping story of redemption.

©2022 Michelle Webster-Hein (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Highly recommend reading

As a survivor of emotional abuse the author illustrates perfectly all the complications that come with that, the story is beautifully told and I couldn’t stop listening.

Superb family drama

If you like Jonathan Franzen, you will like this book. It is so difficult to find a good family drama these days and this is it! It kept my interest through the whole thing and was evenly paced. The story was relatable and the characters were well drawn. I wish more of these types of stories would be published.

Most Michigan novel ever

I had to look on a map to see if I could find Esau, but there's only a Lake Esau up north, so I looked for other clues, places near the border of Indiana, and found Coldwater, Michigan. The mentions of JCC and a little more research, and even though the town is fictitious, it might as well be any number of small rural towns where the people are convinced that if they just do as they were supposed to, everything would be fine, and they'd be happy, but aren't.

The coping mechanisms of trauma that Willa describes are right out of the faces of the kids I saw on the school bus growing up. The anger that Randy has as he destroys the house, and the damage control that Susan maintains is something that is just part of the landscape as the constant grey of the sky and the road. This book is so beautiful in its bleakness. The denial that everybody fits into that things aren't really as bad because the invisible boundaries haven't been crossed, so things just must be fine.
Randy doesn't hit his family, so he's still a pretty good dad, right?
Nobody uses slurs, so they can't be racist, right?
Robert only reaches out when he needs something, so if he does, he'll get it, right?
People go to church on Sunday, so they must listen to the meaning of the readings, right?

A refreshing read with humor and substance

Loving this AMAZING story from a local Michigan author. It had me from page 1. The narrative glides like poetry and the characters are so relatable in their flaws, heart breaks, and hopes. If you are looking for something of substance here you go. Michelle Webster-Hein