Shelter Us

2016 Indie Excellence Winner in Literary Fiction

A sensitively told exploration of layers of loss, isolation, motherhood, and marriage. Diamond knows there are no easy answers and her portrait of Sarah is drawn by a skillful, compassionate hand.”
—Aimee Bender, author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and An Invisible Sign of My Own

Since the death of her infant daughter, lawyer-turned-stay-at-home mom Sarah Shaw has struggled to keep it together for her two young sons and law professor husband. With her husband burying himself in his career and her friendships all having withered, she is lost in a private world of grief.

Then one day walking in L.A., Sarah’s heart catches at the sight of a young homeless woman pushing a baby in a stroller—and saving them becomes her mission. An unlikely bond grows between Sarah and the mother, Josie, whose pride and strained relationship with her own mother prevent her from going home to Oakland. Through her friendship with Josie, Sarah slowly learns that those we love are never far, even in death—and that sometimes it is the people we set out to save who save us.

Shelter Us speaks to the quiet joys and anxieties of parenthood, and illuminates the place all parents know: that shadowy space between unconditional love and fear of unbearable loss.

Author: Laura Diamond

Publication Date: June 8, 2015

Description

2016 Indie Excellence Winner in Literary Fiction

“A sensitively told exploration of layers of loss, isolation, motherhood, and marriage. Diamond knows there are no easy answers and her portrait of Sarah is drawn by a skillful, compassionate hand.”
—Aimee Bender, author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and An Invisible Sign of My Own

Shelter Us is beautiful novel that strikes every emotional chord―hope and fear, love and loss, betrayal and forgiveness. Laura Nicole Diamond is a talent. Her moving story will resonate with anyone who has ever walked past a homeless person and wondered, Could I make a difference? With flawed characters who come alive on the page, Diamond captures her readers with honesty and heart.”
—Lori Nelson Spielman, author of The Life List

“A watercolor portrait of a family at a crossroads, Shelter Us is a deftly rendered narrative of the everyday joys and devastating heartbreaks of parenthood, love, and loyalty. Laura Nicole Diamond’s is a new voice that rings with an old truth: the only way to survive life is through the grace and kindness of the living.”
—Gina B. Nahai, author of The Luminous Heart of Jonah S.

Shelter Us is about characters in search of refuge both literal and metaphorical, seeking comfort, safety, and a sense of belonging. In spare, unsentimental prose, Laura Nicole Diamond explores how grief can divide people, how the bonds of marriage can twist and fray under pressure, and how consolation can be found in the unlikeliest places. I couldn’t put this lovely book down.”
—Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train

“Recommended for book groups interested in discussing issues relating to women, the loss of a child, and family relationships.”
Library Journal

About the Author

Laura Diamond is a writer, civil rights lawyer, mother, and the editor of the anthology Deliver Me: True Confessions of Motherhood. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.

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