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LEAVING HOME WITH PEACE AND PURPOSE by Mary A.  Hibdon

LEAVING HOME WITH PEACE AND PURPOSE

by Mary A. Hibdon

Pub Date: Dec. 19th, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-973610-65-6
Publisher: Westbow Press

A short handbook from a Christian perspective for young people leaving home for the first time.

Hibdon’s nonfiction debut offers readers advice and guidance regarding one of the first major events of their adult lives: leaving the nest and, specifically, going off to college. This move often gives young people their first taste of real responsibility, and as such, it can be a time fraught with confusion, with plenty of potential for missteps. Here, Hibdon takes on the role of an encouraging counselor, organizing her chapters with an eye toward maximum reader involvement, including discussion topics and ruled, blank spaces for answering questions. The tone throughout aims for moral improvement, specifically along Christian lines; for example, young readers are urged often to pray to God for guidance. There are common-sense checklists of things to consider when assessing one’s new environment: What are the local crime rates? The state of public transportation? The general weather and work environments? What items will contribute to the cost of living? There are some warnings about dormitory life and some very helpful, itemized lists of various considerations that first-time apartment-renters should consider. Every section is presented in a Christian framework with appropriate quotes from Scripture, and it sometimes results in warnings that some readers may find curiously old-fashioned: “If you choose stubbornness, procrastination, alcohol, drugs, or gambling, there will be a period when you feel invincible,” she writes, “but this will be followed by a roller coaster ride that may end in jail or prison or poverty or a breakdown.” Far more useful, however, are the book’s many practical tips about handling landlords and managing money.

A thorough guide to early adulthood with plenty of valuable advice, particularly for a devoutly religious audience.