Empty Nest, What’s Next? Parenting Adult Children Without Losing Your Mind

Howe (Burdens Do a Body Good), a PW reviewer, looks at a relatively unaddressed topic in parenting literature: relating to adult children. A mother of four young adults, Howe draws extensively on her own experience as well as that of others. She covers ground logically, examining myriad possibilities (grandparenting, children’s in-laws, “adult-sized mistakes,” and more). The book is strongly Christian; each chapter begins with a Bible verse and ends with a prayer. Parents for whom the faith of their children’s potential mate is not a major issue will likely have other strategies that rely less on faith and more on psychology. Chapters are at times frustratingly short, as if the author has just gotten going on a subject but time is up. Still, Howe has an earnest, been-there (and “there” includes being in court with a child) authorial voice that speaks with candid strength. Christian readers might find themselves using the book as a daily devotional, given the volume’s short chapters and regular prayerful advice. Agent: Les Stobbe, Leslie H. Stobbe Literary Agency. (Oct.)