Push Off from Here - by Laura McKowen (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the bestselling author of We Are the Luckiest and founder of the international recovery community The Luckiest Club comes a modern exploration of addiction that offers nine foundational building blocks that anyone at any stage of sobriety can use.

"I wish I had it when I first got sober, but I'm glad I have it now."--Anne Lamott

No matter how far astray you've gone or how many times you've tried and failed before, as long as you're still sitting here, breathing, and reading these words, freedom and joy are still possible.

When Laura McKowen was two years sober, she received an email from a woman whose sister was struggling with alcohol addiction. McKowen had barely climbed out from the dark place the woman's sister was in, but she made a list of the things she most needed to hear when she was deep in her own battle.

1. It is not your fault.
2. It is your responsibility.
3. It is unfair that this is your thing.
4. This is your thing.
5. This will never stop being your thing until you face it.
6. You cannot do it alone.
7. Only you can do it.
8. You are loved.
9. We will never stop reminding you of these things.

In Push Off from Here, McKowen delves deeply into each of her nine points: what they mean, how they work, and how every person can live them. She addresses topics such as the correlation between trauma and addiction, the importance of radical honesty, letting go of the illusion of control, the value of community, a reminder that healing is a continual process, and that the process is a gift. Whether you're just starting out or have been sober for decades, McKowen instructs us to be kind to ourselves: Change is messy and progress is rarely linear, but we can always push off from here.

The stories and advice McKowen shares are specific to alcohol addiction, but the tenets are universal in their application and useful no matter what challenge you face. With profound honesty and boundless compassion, Push Off from Here provides an actionable framework for healing what pains us and proves that a life of sobriety can be synonymous with a life of magic, peace, and freedom.

Review Quotes

"This is the book, and Laura McKowen is the voice. Push Off from Here offers one of the bravest and boldest takes on recovery I've ever read, and there is no one who won't be comforted, supported, and empowered by Laura's words."--Melissa Urban, co-founder and CEO of Whole30 and New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Boundaries

"The writing sparkles on every page, but the biggest gift of this book is Laura McKowen's insistence that we all deserve grace for who we've been in the past and permission to get busy building the lives we've always wanted."--Christie Tate, New York Times bestselling author of Group

"Wise, practical, empathetic, beautifully written, above all USEFUL. Reading this book is like having coffee with your big sister whose been through it--loving but clear-eyed about how to get through the next stretch."--Shauna Niequist, New York Times bestselling author of I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet

"Whether letting go of addiction, healing a broken heart, or looking for a new direction in life, the answers are here for you."--Kelly McDaniel, LPC, therapist, and author of Mother Hunger

"The clarity and succinct simplicity in Push Off from Here make this required reading for all humans struggling with any level or type of addiction. Countless lives will be changed by McKowen's grounded, compassionate truth. No matter where you are on the path, wrap McKowen's words around you and push off from precisely where you are."--Elena Brower, bestselling author and host of Practice You

About the Author

Laura McKowen is the author of the bestselling memoir We Are the Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life. In 2020, she founded The Luckiest Club, a global sobriety support community. She lives with her daughter and partner in Boston.