Lost Boys and the Moms Who Love Them: Help and Hope for Dealing with Your Wayward Son [Hardcover]

Melody Carlson (Author), Heather Kopp (Author), Linda Clare (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2002

For mothers who refuse to give up on their sons–and those afraid they already have.

It seems like just yesterday your son was a precious little boy who loved to give you kisses. Today, he often ignores your advice, brushes away hugs, and sees you as the enemy. Though you hate to admit it, he seems to have lost his spiritual and moral compass. And the more “lost” he becomes, the more lost you feel.

Though “lost boys” can come from the best of homes, we as their mothers frequently feel embarrassed, judged, or rejected by our friends, family, or church communities. You may not know where to turn for support in the face of your son’s drug use or depression, underage drinking or premarital sex, truancy or violence, criminal behavior or rejection of your values. But no matter what you’re going through, you can find reason to keep hoping. From spiritual solace to practical wisdom, Lost Boys and the Moms Who Love Them offers a broad range of welcome insights from women who understand your heartache as only mothers of troubled sons can.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

For mothers who refuse to give up on their sons?and those afraid they already have.

It seems like just yesterday your son was a precious little boy who loved to give you kisses. Today, he often ignores your advice, brushes away hugs, and sees you as the enemy. Though you hate to admit it, he seems to have lost his spiritual and moral compass. And the more ?lost? he becomes, the more lost you feel.

Though ?lost boys? can come from the best of homes, we as their mothers frequently feel embarrassed, judged, or rejected by our friends, family, or church communities. You may not know where to turn for support in the face of your son?s drug use or depression, underage drinking or premarital sex, truancy or violence, criminal behavior or rejection of your values. But no matter what you?re going through, you can find reason to keep hoping. From spiritual solace to practical wisdom, Lost Boys and the Moms Who Love Them offers a broad range of welcome insights from women who understand your heartache as only mothers of troubled sons can.

About the Author

Melody Carlson and her husband Chris are the parents of two grown sons. Melody has written over sixty books for children, teens, and adults, including Diary of a Teenage Girl and Letters from God to Teens. She is the winner of several prestigious writing awards. Heather Kopp and her husband David are the parents of five children, from teenagers to young adults. She has written on family issues for years, first in dozens of articles, then in a regular column for Virtue magazine. Most recently, she’s teamed up with her husband to write numerous books on family and prayer, including the best-selling Praying the Bible for Your Children. Linda Clare and her husband Brad are the parents of four teenage and young adult children. She has written many humor articles, poems, and short stories about family life.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press; 1 edition (February 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578564832
• ISBN-13: 978-1578564835
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,048,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When your son makes you look like a bad parent ..., May 16, 2006

By 

J. Young (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lost Boys and the Moms Who Love Them: Help and Hope for Dealing with Your Wayward Son (Hardcover)

If you are the mother of a son who doesn't quite present the "image" of a child from a "good Christian" home, this book is for you. It is not a how-to book. It won't tell you how to keep your boy out of trouble or how to fix him once he's strayed. Instead, there are about fifty short chapters telling the stories of various "lost boys" and how their moms have struggled to cope with the resulting worries, shame and guilt.

The book is scary because it shows ways of getting into trouble that my son (thankfully!) hasn't thought of -- drug and alcohol abuse, of course, but also theft, unwed pregnancies, piercings/tattoos, anger issues, ADD/ADHD, mental illness and one tragic incident involving a gun.

Some stories have happy endings; some end on a note of hope; some situations simply cannot ever be fixed in this lifeime. All of the stories point to an eternal hope with God and how to trust in Him when there is nothing else to cling to.

I'm going to suggest that our church stock this book in its bookstore. I think there are a lot of parents out there stuggling because their sons don't meet the expectations people have of the product of a Christian family. Five stars for a book that tackles this issue honestly.

5.0 out of 5 stars Lost Boys and the Moms who love them, January 29, 2012

By 

Madre Mia - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lost Boys and the Moms Who Love Them: Help and Hope for Dealing with Your Wayward Son (Hardcover)

Amazing to read a book written with such compassion and empathy by Moms for moms of lost boys. Each mother shares her story. I bought 7 copies and only have 3 left. Much to learn from these beautiful ladies.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Mom Who Loves One, December 1, 2010

By 

Linda S. Clare "God hunter" (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Lost Boys and the Moms Who Love Them: Help and Hope for Dealing with Your Wayward Son (Hardcover)

I have direct experience raising troubled sons. Before this book came out there wasn't any literature to help us parents who try to help their sons. In these pages, I got so much support from people like me, who've been there, done that. Disclaimer: I am one of the book's coauthors. Melody and Heather and I shared our similar woes and triumphs while raising boys who could be challenges, and that's putting it mildly. The good news is that our guys are all adults now, some with kids of their own. The stories in Lost Boys will appeal to any parent who has felt stymied and alone. Whether it's drugs, alcohol, mental issues or just orneryness, the boys in this book, their moms and dads and yes, a little faith (OK a lot of faith) will help you get through it.