Push Off from Here

Nine Essential Truths to Get You Through Sobriety (and Everything Else)

By: Laura McKowen

Narrated by: Laura McKowen

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2023 Laura McKowen (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“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

Revolutionary

Laura McKowen’s writing is engaging and relatable. I appreciate her honesty and offerings that have helped myself with real change. A must read!

I felt so much hope, joy, and love from this book!

I loved listening to this powerful reminder of what it takes to manage addictions. I am in recovery for food addiction and this book spoke to my heart in a powerful way.

A real take on sobriety and how to make it out of addiction

Laura did it again. She wrote a book from her heart to help other people find their way out of addiction. I really love her loving and kind approach to sobriety.

Compassionate and Constructive

Laura’s first book, We Are The Luckiest, changed my life and forced me to look at my drinking two years ago. This second book reinforced everything I’ve learned about myself and more throughout my sobriety journey. Perhaps just as importantly, it has also helped me reexamine other family members who struggle with alcohol through a more compassionate lens. Everyone is on a different journey, but this book highlights the commonalities on the path to recovery. There are a handful of writers who have an uncanny ability to put what I’m feeling into words, and Laura is one of them. Laura’s books have allowed me to wake up to life after 32 years of living unconsciously and numbing out with alcohol.

Hard-won wisdom distilled

Absolutely loved this book - even more than her first. Vulnerable, practical and universal to so many other things than sobriety.

Best recovery book

Wow! This book is amazing. Laura has an online community too The Luckiest Club. Don’t miss out on joining, it is life changing if you are struggling with alcohol.

This book is helping me so much!

I’m so happy to have come across this book. It’s wonderfully written, tells a story of redemption and gives hope for anyone who’s facing alcoholism or addictions. There are some real, concrete steps towards healing, and ways to look inward in order to get through these painful moments. I’m so proud of the author for how far they’ve come in their recovery, and I really look up to them as someone who has been to hell and back. I, too, I am in recovery, and this book will be held close to my heart.

not just quit lit

a more holistic approach rooted in spirituality and love. and not just that either. thank you, Laura.

Honest, Raw, Grit Delivered with Compassion

I highly recommend reading Laura’s book ‘We Are the Luckiest’ before embarking on this one (though they can certainly be read, understood, and valued as helpful when read in no special order.)

Starting with the former, however, was something that truly allowed for ‘Push Off From Here’ to resonate profoundly for me and so, I pass along such the recommendation.

This title is a comprehensive guide to overcoming addiction by embracing sobriety through community. It includes stories that can easily be appreciated even if/when they aren’t relatable to some and it showcases vulnerability through raw transparency of what it means to overcome adversity. The 9 truths are stepping stones in a path towards sobriety for anyone struggling with addiction; they’re building blocks for a positive mindset and plan of action for anyone willing to do the work.

Laura’s wisdom is articulated very well through her writing style and her tone and pitch when delivering the read in this audiobook was the biggest — and only needed improvement — from ‘We Are the Luckiest’. Her feathery yet modulated voice is easy to listen to and kept me captivated chapter by chapter.

Gorgeous work

This book is so beautifully written. It’s one I will listen to again and again. Sometimes we forget that we actually have the tools. And if we can use them, we must. Thank you for another dose of Laura wisdom.