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Valerie Fraser Luesse
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Missing Isaac Kindle Edition

by Valerie Fraser Luesse (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 out of 5 stars 1,275 ratings
There was another South in the 1960s, one far removed from the marches and bombings and turmoil in the streets that were broadcast on the evening news. It was a place of inner turmoil, where ordinary people struggled to right themselves on a social landscape that was dramatically shifting beneath their feet. This is the world of Valerie Fraser Luesse's stunning debut, Missing Isaac.

It is 1965 when black field hand Isaac Reynolds goes missing from the tiny, unassuming town of Glory, Alabama. The townspeople's reactions range from concern to indifference, but one boy will stop at nothing to find out what happened to his unlikely friend. White, wealthy, and fatherless, young Pete McLean has nothing to gain and everything to lose in his relentless search for Isaac. In the process, he will discover much more than he bargained for. Before it's all over, Pete--and the people he loves most--will have to blur the hard lines of race, class, and religion. And what they discover about themselves may change some of them forever.
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  1. Print length
    354 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Revell
  4. Publication date
    January 2, 2018
  5. File size
    6.2 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Isaac believed in luck. But from Pete's point of view, Isaac's luck had all run out.

When Pete McLean loses his father in the summer of 1962, his friend Isaac is one of the few people he can lean on. Though their worlds are as different as black and white, friendship knows no color. So when Isaac suddenly goes missing, Pete is determined to find out what happened--no matter what it costs him. His quest will lead him into parts of town that he knows only through rumors and introduce him to a girl who will change his life. What they discover together will change the small Southern town of Glory, Alabama--forever.

With vivid descriptions, palpable atmosphere, and unforgettable characters, debut novelist Valerie Fraser Luesse breathes life into the rural South of the 1960s--a place where ordinary people struggle to find their footing in a social landscape that is shifting beneath their feet.


"Valerie Fraser Luesse's beautiful story reveals the human heart that always beats beneath the headlines. In the process, she movingly illuminates not only the spirit of a special region but the soul of every human being who ever dared to care. Missing Isaac will break--and then heal--your heart."--J. I. Baker, journalist and author of The Empty Glass

"Welcome debut novelist Valerie Fraser Luesse to the legions of gifted Southern writers before her. Missing Isaac is the first of what we hope will be many more tales from this talented writer."--Nancy Dorman-Hickson, coauthor of Diplomacy and Diamonds and a former editor for Progressive Farmer and Southern Living magazines

"Valerie Luesse has an ear for dialogue, an eye for detail, and a profound gift for storytelling. She breathes life into these colorful Southern characters and this quirky Alabama town from the first page."--Sid Evans, editor-in-chief of Southern Living magazine


Valerie Fraser Luesse is an award-winning writer and a senior travel editor for Southern Living. Specializing in stories about unique pockets of Southern culture, Luesse has published major pieces on the Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Delta, Louisiana's Acadian Prairie, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She lives in Alabama.

About the Author

Valerie Fraser Luesse is the bestselling author of Missing Isaac, Almost Home, The Key to Everything, and Under the Bayou Moon. She is an award-winning magazine writer best known for her feature stories and essays in Southern Living, where she recently retired as senior travel editor. Specializing in stories about unique pockets of Southern culture, Luesse received the 2009 Writer of the Year award from the Southeast Tourism Society for her editorial section on Hurricane Katrina recovery in Mississippi and Louisiana. A graduate of Auburn University and Baylor University, she lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, Dave.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0741FGTWK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Revell (January 2, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 2, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6.2 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 1,275 ratings

About the author

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Valerie Fraser Luesse

Valerie Fraser Luesse

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Valerie Fraser Luesse is the author of five novels set in the South: Christy Award winner Missing Isaac (2018), Almost Home (2019), The Key to Everything (2020), Under the Bayou Moon 2021), and Letters from My Sister (2023), all published by Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. An award-winning magazine writer, Luesse is perhaps best known for her feature stories and essays in Southern Living, where she wrote major pieces on the Mississippi Delta, Acadian Louisiana, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Her editorial section on the recovering Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, photographed by Mark Sandlin, won the 2009 Travel Writer of the Year award from the Southeast Tourism Society. Luesse earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Auburn University and Baylor University, respectively. She is a native of Harpersville, Alabama.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
1,275 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book engaging with a thoughtful storyline and beautiful writing style, with one review noting how the author makes the setting and situations feel real. The book features well-developed characters and a mixture of sadness and humor, making it a heartwarming and inspirational read. Customers appreciate the book's exploration of different lifestyles, with one review highlighting the experience of small-town life at its finest.

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66 customers mention "Story quality"66 positive0 negative

Customers praise the engaging story of love in this book, describing it as a beautiful and well-told southern tale that grabs the reader's heart.

"...book that has it all — relatable and complex characters, a story that grabs your heart, and a voice speaks to the soul — it is difficult to get past..." Read more

"...The story was beautiful and well written. Her characters are real and varied, painted with both good and bad character...." Read more

"...innuendos, and plenty of detailed plots to keep you wanting to read more. One of the best books I’ve read this year...." Read more

"...There is a lot of love woven throughout. Between families, friends and people who do meet and fall in love...." Read more

53 customers mention "Readability"53 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and pleasant, with one customer noting it is well researched.

"...But while it handles some heavy issues, there is a lightness and a wit about it that keeps the darkness at bay...." Read more

"I really enjoyed this book, and the stories, all of the subplots, were fascinating to me. This story was set in the 1960s, in a rural area...." Read more

"...This is a read anyone can enjoy and learn from." Read more

"This author has definitely improved in her subsequent books, and as a debut novel, it was fine...." Read more

44 customers mention "Character development"44 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting the beautifully written characters and how they serve as a catalyst for the story.

"...Valerie Fraser Luesse, is a book that has it all — relatable and complex characters, a story that grabs your heart, and a voice speaks to the soul —..." Read more

"...The story was beautiful and well written. Her characters are real and varied, painted with both good and bad character...." Read more

"...The characters were interesting, and their Southern way of speech and customs were done very well...." Read more

"The Author did an amazing job of describing the characters in this story as she wove a beautiful story of how life was lived in a small town in..." Read more

23 customers mention "Spirit"23 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspirational, with one mentioning how it brings people together and another noting how it brings hope from unexpected places.

"...Missing Isaac has a wonderful foundation of faith as well...." Read more

"...bit of a mystery, race relations both positive and negative, and Christian values and quotes from hymns I know all went together to earn the 5 stars...." Read more

"...I really enjoyed the authors writing style and how she covered a sensitive topic...." Read more

"...The characters are so believable and the themes of racism and culture class came alive to me...." Read more

23 customers mention "Writing style"23 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing style of the book, noting its beautiful prose and natural flow, with one customer highlighting the authentic portrayal of settings and situations.

"...and complex characters, a story that grabs your heart, and a voice speaks to the soul — it is difficult to get past the emotions that it elicited..." Read more

"...The story was beautiful and well written. Her characters are real and varied, painted with both good and bad character...." Read more

"...Pete, his family, along with the Picketts, and the town folk were all realistic...." Read more

"...There's a natural ease to her storytelling that I admire...." Read more

12 customers mention "Heartwarming"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book heartwarming, describing it as charming and sweet, with one customer comparing it to a beautiful warm quilt.

"...Maybe this is the only one! Heartwarming, a bit of a mystery, race relations both positive and negative, and Christian values and quotes from..." Read more

"...The story of Pete and Dovey, John and Lila were super sweet. I loved the progressions of both relationships...." Read more

"...Such a heartwarming yet sad read." Read more

"...between Isaac and Pete, who came from different backgrounds, is a sweet yet sad story with many life lessons in it...." Read more

12 customers mention "Sadness"12 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's emotional content, describing it as a mixture of sadness and humor that makes them laugh and cry.

"...But it's not really a sad book...I actually laughed out loud several times while reading it and I teared up a few times as well...." Read more

"...The author kept me interested from the first page. It has a mixture of sadness,mystery and happiness that kept me captive...." Read more

"...to be sad, and in parts it is; but there was also so much unexpected humor in the book...." Read more

"...Such a heartwarming yet sad read." Read more

6 customers mention "Lifestyle"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's portrayal of different lifestyles, with one customer describing it as experiencing small-town life at its finest.

"...The characters, quirky and oh so Southern, are real. I found myself quickly immersed in the story...." Read more

"...For five stars, a book has to be well-written, interesting, clean, and free of inappropriate language...." Read more

"I thought the story line was good and unusual. Too many characters to keep up with that only played a small part or no part in the storyline...." Read more

"...South, reconciling racial and class distinctions, experiencing small-town life at its finest (and pettiest) and love at its purest...all while..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • B. Burnham
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written debut!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This review is going to be difficult to write. Although Missing Isaac, the debut novel of Valerie Fraser Luesse, is a book that has it all — relatable and complex characters, a story that grabs your heart, and a voice speaks to the soul — it is difficult to get past the emotions that it elicited and name specifics as to why you should read it. And read it, you must! This book will win awards, I guarantee. And it most definitely will be on my best of the best list for 2018, if not of all time. It gets the very rare Very Highly Recommended distinction from me.

    The time is the 1960s and the place is rural Alabama. It is a simple time for 11 year-old Pete who adores his father and has not a care in the world. But things can change in an instant, and Pete is swept up into a world of loss and grief. His anchor in the storm is an unlikely friend — a 30-something black man who has worked most of his life as a field hand for Pete’s family. They form an easy bond, but in another life-changing moment, Isaac disappears, leaving Pete unsettled and determined to find our what has happened to Isaac Reynolds.

    Luesse has a beautiful writing style. The language of the different classes and races shines through in her flowing narrative and dialogue. The characters, quirky and oh so Southern, are real. I found myself quickly immersed in the story. And though Missing Isaac is a novel to be savored, it was a surprisingly quick read. I just could not put it down, and the many distractions around me faded the minute I stepped into the world of Glory, Alabama. There’s a lot going on in Glory, the nuances and undercurrents of which Pete is innocent. His encounter with a girl from the Hollow expands his experiences with life and love beyond his safe home. You see, there are all kinds of worlds out there that we have no knowledge of. As Dovey puts it — “Pete, what’s throwin’ you off is that you think there’s just one world we all live in, but there’s not. There’s a bunch of ’em. There’s the world you come from and the world I come from and the world Isaac comes from — there’s all kinda worlds. And the only people that don’t seem to know that are the ones that come from yours.” What I especially liked about this book is that Luesse merged those worlds, those different classes of people that made their home in Glory, in a beautiful way.

    Missing Isaac is a poignant look at a time gone by that is not so distant from our own time, a time that hasn’t changed enough. But while it handles some heavy issues, there is a lightness and a wit about it that keeps the darkness at bay. There are some really funny moments in the midst of fear and grief and discouragement — a picture of real life. Missing Isaac has a wonderful foundation of faith as well. It is as natural and living as the fields that surround the small farming community.

    I hope my ramblings will get you interested enough to pick this one up. Missing Isaac is my book club’s February selection. I cannot wait for my friends to read it!

    Very Highly Recommended.

    Great for Book Clubs.

    Audience: young adults through adults.

    (Thanks to Revell for a complimentary copy. All opinion expressed are mine alone.)
    20 people found this helpful
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  • MissyLane
    5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding. Lovely Debut Novel.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I was born in New York. At this very moment I’ve lived exactly one half of my 64 years in the South. I’m so dang tired of hollywood and other condescending outsiders creating ugly and dumb stereotypes of southerners; while centering their stories totally on the shameful aspects of segregation and the civil rights movement.

    Fraser crafted it differently, balancing the trials caused by prejudice with acts of heart-warming grace and humility. She didn’t shy away from honest emotion: fear experienced by those not of the white mainstream nor acts of love patiently aimed towards the skeptical of all colors.
    The story was beautiful and well written. Her characters are real and varied, painted with both good and bad character. I appreciated how the conflicts and resolutions did not resemble the typical roller-coaster ride of angst so many authors use to create tension.
    Glad to see a second book by this author. SOLD!
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Grammagramma
    4.0 out of 5 stars Written with a Talented Author's Pen
    Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed this book, and the stories, all of the subplots, were fascinating to me. This story was set in the 1960s, in a rural area. There was a solid friendship
    between a wealthy family, and the people who worked their land, which is uncommon, but
    not unheard of. Very well constructed and believable.
    They had a lot of employees working in their cotton fields, and treated them with respect.

    The characters were interesting, and their Southern way of speech and customs were done very well.
    Pete, his family, along with the Picketts, and the town folk were all realistic.
    There wasn’t much Christianity in the story, which kind of surprised me, and I hope Valerie
    starts talking about Jesus, salvation, and the King James bible in her future books.
    She has a real gift from God for telling stories that keep you attention, and that
    don’t stress you out reading them.

    I recommend this book, because it’s a good, clean read, no trashy romance or
    innuendos, and plenty of detailed plots to keep you wanting to read more.
    One of the best books I’ve read this year.

    Romans 10:8-13; John 3:16-21
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Susan Weber
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely read!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I'm on the third title by this author and I've enjoyed every single one. There's a natural ease to her storytelling that I admire.
    I struggle to find a category for this because while there is the aspect of romance I wouldn't call it a romance novel. There is a lot of love woven throughout. Between families, friends and people who do meet and fall in love. One of my biggest draws is that she doesn't feel the need to clutter her stories with sex. (Nothing ruins a book for me more than graphic sex.) On to her next book!
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  • Diana Paul
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Story
    Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    The Author did an amazing job of describing the characters in this story as she wove a beautiful story of how life was lived in a small town in Alabama. This is a story of the struggles of the black and white people who lived here. Racism was prevalent in Glory, Alabama. There were, however, those individuals, who chose, knowing that friendship between black and whites could be a dangerous decision. Their lives could be in jeopardy. There were, also, those individuals who considered themselves to be better than some of the poor families who lived in the woods in small homes. This was an eye opener for me as I have never been a racist. It is hard for me to believe people can think and act like some of the characters in Missing Isaac. I, also, liked this book because there were no 4 letter words. I recommend this book to those who want a beautiful story.
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  • Lisa Parker
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not what you think
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Having grown up in the South during the story's time frame, so much of this book resonated with me. The crime committed wasn't the central theme: it was the catalyst for character development. I personally 'knew' all of these characters. They all came back to me in this book. And the main takeaway for me is that our lives are shaped by the way we treat each other. This is a read anyone can enjoy and learn from.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Monty
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent page turner
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 24, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Once I started I couldn't put it down, now I'm disappointed it's finished! Can't wait for your next novel Valerie
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