To look at Kimberly Luse, you would never guess the challenges and turmoil of her past. It’s difficult to open the scars of your past but that is what she does with great honesty. Luse holds a PhD, is married, has successful children, and seems to be the embodiment of the modern woman - determined, goal oriented, and independent. But it has been a challenging journey to get that that point.
When asked why she wrote the book, she says, “I actually felt led to write the book. I’ve learned to listen when God lays something on my heart, and the message I continued to receive was that if I could be brave enough to release something so vulnerable it could lead to helping someone else along the way.”
Roofing, siding, gutters painting. |
Luse grew up in Newport but felt herself the outsider when she came to high school in Fort Thomas. She was the outsider. She was bullied. She didn’t belong. She tried to straddle two worlds. She struggled with self-image, academics, and family. But she persisted.
An early marriage failed, but produced two wonderful children that added the motivation to succeed. But success without failure or challenges isn’t much a success. Luse asks at one point the question that every young woman asks, “Is there a way to find that balance? Being true to yourself, but also be pleasing to those who you love and care about?” These questions persist today.
She married again. More children. More success. But then things took a turn again in the marriage, career, and family. Luse made difficult choices, learned hard lessons, but was determined even though her world crumbled.
Her memoir is rich and painful with descriptions of her struggles and the struggles of her family. She is blunt about the dangers of drug abuse and the joys of being a grandparent and a successful businesswoman. She rejoices in love found, flounders through love lost, and then rejoices in love refound. The reader can relate to her struggles because we share similar struggles - identity, career, belonging, sacrifice, and sorrow.
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Kimberly and Evan Luse at their second wedding. |
Kimberly Luse is a powerful force in our community but no matter how well you think you know someone, you learn so much when you listen to their stories. This story reveals Luse’s independent nature but also reveals how the pleasant and unpleasant natures of a community contribute to character.
The story is resonating with readers. She says, “I had a colleague reach out to me. I blogged about it on LinkedIn a few days ago. She told me she had been abruptly fired. She is a single mother, and felt quite desperate. She shared that she was sitting in her apartment thinking maybe it would be better for everyone all the way around if she just wasn’t here any longer. But then she thought about that chapter in my book, and reached out to me to talk. That is exactly why I wrote the book.”
Read Circling the Drain. Get to know one of your neighbors and you will learn a little something about yourself.
Kimberly Luse will sign books at Fort Thomas Central on June 20. Circling the Drain is available on Amazon.
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Kimberly Luse at a recent book signing. |
Thank you so much, Chuck Keller! It was wonderful to sit and visit with you to discuss my book!
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