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After the Boxes Are Unpacked

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More than 40 million Americans move each year, and studies show it can be one of the heaviest strains on a marriage. For women especially, relocating can be a traumatic event. With true stories, ingenious insights, and helpful hints, this great book makes transitioning smoother so women can get on with their lives. Those who are moving will find this valuable book as important as packing tape.

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 1995

47 people are currently reading
191 people want to read

About the author

Susan Miller

238 books13 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

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5 stars
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72 (22%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Profile Image for Rachel Boothby.
152 reviews3 followers
June 22, 2017
I really appreciated this book's Bible-based advice on going through the process of moving and settling in to a new home and life. She wrote in an honest and inviting way. Some of it is pretty obvious, and some advice is a bit outdated, but overall, I think this was helpful.
Profile Image for Patty Betts.
185 reviews3 followers
March 15, 2025
Such a great book to encourage you before you move! The Lord always goes before us, just keep our eyes on Him!
Profile Image for Heather.
106 reviews
October 22, 2018
While this version of the book is significantly outdated (landline phones, calling the welcome wagon, using the yellow pages, etc 😂), the overall content and heart behind the book is solid-how to grieve & embrace a new life after a move and how to move forward in His grace. This book helped me to realize that I wasn’t going crazy (I didn’t realize how traumatic our move would be for me!) and the author’s gentle, loving wisdom helped guide me through. This is a must for anyone who has just moved! Just get the newer version for all the updates :)
Profile Image for Bethany.
29 reviews1 follower
January 13, 2013
Wish I would have read this the summer we moved! It was very encouraging, as far as practical advice was concerned. Our church does this as a bible study but doesn't offer child care for my kids ages. I decided to read it for myself, and I'm glad I did. The content was a little fluffy for my taste at times, but overall I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Martha DBRASS.
10 reviews1 follower
September 27, 2019
I would recommend this book to anyone who is moving, but especially to someone moving overseas! I believe my move to Taiwan would have been smoother had I read this book before hand. Susan Miller gives practical and spiritual ways to transition to a new location. I loved the section about starting over. I battled with loneliness and finding my lost identity. If you have recently moved or are planning to move, pick up this easy to read book that is filled with God’s word and wisdom.
8 reviews2 followers
January 11, 2014
As a military wife, I have experienced the gamut of emotions and situations, Miller so beautifully articulates. This is will a book I refer to often as we continue moving all over the country every few years.
Profile Image for Nathan Albright.
4,488 reviews153 followers
March 26, 2016
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.]

The updated version of an immensely popular guide to encourage those dealing with the occasional trauma of moving, this book offers something familiar to the reader as well, a book written by a woman for women about women [1]. Although there is nothing in the title of the book itself that would suggest that this book is narrowly focused on women, the contents of that book make it plain. As I coincidentally received this book as I was in the process of moving across state lines myself, to the other side of the river in the Portland area, I found it contrary to my expectations that in one way the book was written with a great deal of relevance about the complexity of moving while on the other hand it was not written to me at all. For those familiar with the original version, as I was not when requesting this book, the updated version contains more specific information about difficulties faced by single women, divorced moms, widows (like the author), or military wives, which adds quite a bit of downheartedness to the book as a whole.

In terms of its content and structure, the book as a whole is divided into three parts and numerous chapters. The first part, Let Go, contains seven chapters that discuss the reasons for moves, the stress of moving (especially when one does not have a great support system), the difference between nicks and dents, and the need to remove luggage tags and come to acceptance with a move like someone going through the five stages of grief. After this, the second section of the book, Start Over, encourages its readers to bloom where they are planted, to find encouragement in their spouses, and to meet new people and create new traditions to make them feel more at home. The third section of the book contains the last six of the book's twenty chapters over a bit more than 200 pages and encourages the reader to "Move Forward" by coming full circle, recognizing that certain professions and life situations (like being an athlete's wife, a pastor's wife, or military wife) mean moving. These main contents are followed by two appendices that give more advice from women who have moved, some healthy advice on how someone can get settled, various endnotes, and some information about the author's Just Moved Ministries for women cut adrift from their roots. Within the chapters themselves sound biblical advice and quotations from other books about the difficulties of moving are mixed with quotations from those whom the author has comforted about their moving, as well as sections like Heart To Heart and Unpack Your Survival Box in most chapters that provide emotional support and encouragement to stressed out movers and practical and rather direct tips on how to make their moving go better, such as: "Let go of expectations that you'll move back (48)."

In many ways, this book is both practical and full of a great deal of emotional support. The author envisions a potential market of millions a year for this book, and has written with particular types of women in mind; as the book is not written at all to men who move, I did not find it to be very useful even as someone who has on several occasions had traumatic and sudden involuntary moves. That said, Christian women moving would likely find a great deal of encouragement in the comments of other women in similar situations who have dealt with moving successfully, and can hopefully overcome the bitterness of some women whose moves with their husband has led to separation and divorce and to divided families. That said, it is a shame that so few men are likely to read this book, since one of the ways the author consistently mentions that women can have a better time with moving is to receive love and consideration for their own feelings from their husbands, and that sort of sensitivity and understanding is likely not particularly common, and this book somewhat ill-suited to bringing the matter to the attention of the men this book is not aimed at. In its absence, then, the author seems to present a picture of women sticking up for and encouraging other women through reading when one is in a strange place without a circle of friends, looking for new congregations and setting up new habits and trying to find a place as a stranger among one's new neighbors. The book also provides, towards its end, thoughtful encouragement to women struggling with the traumatic effects of combat on some of the men in their lives as well. Hopefully this encouragement finds its way to many who are in that situation.

[1] See, for example:

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Profile Image for Sarah.
9 reviews2 followers
February 19, 2019
A self help type of book with spiritual wisdom when it comes to moving to a new place, and having to leave everything you knew behind. Author Susan Miller addresses the tangible, emotional, and spiritual aspects. She validates the difficulty of relocating, as well as the emotions that go along with it all. She then gives biblical advice and encouragement to thrive through it all. Throughout the entire book I felt as though a friend was speaking to me.
Profile Image for Sabrina.
1,282 reviews2 followers
April 4, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, I am newly moved and found this applicable to my situation and current experiences. I agree that there are some outdated suggestions but that can easily be fixed with an updated edition. I would suggest this for anyone about to move, currently moving, just moved, or finding difficulties in settling in your new location.
235 reviews
March 9, 2022
I read it at a time when our move is months away. I didn't highlight much, but I will probably reread it once we're on the other side of the move, and it will likely resonate with me more then. Still, I thought it was useful at this point to see how I might react then.
52 reviews
November 15, 2024
I read this with a small group including a workbook. Easy to read, heavy in Scripture, and thoughtful insights into all the emotions and feelings that accompany relocating. Whether your journey includes a big or small move, this book is a useful tool in adjusting to your new community.
Profile Image for Katie.
3 reviews1 follower
September 18, 2019
This is a great resource for women who are in the midst of a move. Some of the suggestions can seem simplistic but they are invaluable reminders when your mind and heart are feeling overwhelmed.
Profile Image for Ame Ai.
Author 13 books1 follower
January 12, 2021
Must be read in a group. Might get a visit from the author.
Profile Image for Dani Keith.
15 reviews1 follower
January 29, 2021
Helpful among the settlement of
Soul and life. Moving is hard on all parts of life and she helps remind ypu of what's most important
Profile Image for Lauren Curley.
102 reviews5 followers
July 30, 2022
Religious based. This is like a comforting cup of tea to read after a move.
Profile Image for Amber.
699 reviews
June 13, 2025
I think it's about time I stop reading about moving tips and write my own book. excellent ideas I simply don't need because I learned them the hard way.
Profile Image for Sydney Beth.
892 reviews32 followers
July 27, 2016
“I had to choose to move forward. Notice I always use the word choose. It is my choice to be open or closed to change and to what God is teaching me through it. I realized it was time to take the focus off myself, embrace where I now lived, and invest in new relationships. It was time to come full circle by being content in my circumstances and choosing to move to a place of peace, joy, hope and trust, with God as my focus.” — Susan Miller


The sheer amount of wisdom in this book is so large that it actually took me a long time to get through! It couldn’t have arrived in my life at a better time — I had recently moved with my family from South America back to the USA and then, while reading it, we moved for my husband’s job to another state.

Unless you have moved yourself, it’s pretty hard to understand the challenges one goes through in transitions like this — be it from another continent or just over the state line. After the Boxes Are Unpacked is an extremely comprehensive book written mostly for the “mover” but it would definitely benefit those movers if “receivers” read it, too. If you know someone who has moved to your area — a new neighbor, a new co-worker or a new church member — this book could give you an intimate understanding of what they are going through and how you can help in their transition.

“Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19)


The author, Susan Miller, has decades of experience full of moves and, later, ministering to those who have moved. Her book is overflowing with true, relatable stories and savvy suggestions and tips. Steeped in biblical scripture, After the Boxes Are Unpacked successfully empathizes with the reader, providing encouragement and nudges for getting through transitions more quickly with the right heart.

Separated into three sections (Let Go, Start Over and Move Forward), Miller dives into every possible aspect of moves. It’s directed toward women, which was my only disappointment in the book — I was hoping it would be a good book for my husband, too, but that wasn’t a big deal. Some of the main topics she covers include:

- How to manage the emotional stress of leaving family & friends
- How to support your spouse through a relocation
- How to build new relationships in a new city
- How to help children adjust to new surroundings and make friends
- How to find a new church home
- How to navigate financial challenges related to moving
- How to discover God’s will for you and your family in a new city

“Being uprooted by any life change can leave you feeling like you’ve hit rock bottom. You can either stay there or see God as the rock and foundation upon which to rebuild your life.” — Susan


“But we must keep trusting God for something that hasn’t happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently.” (Romans 8:25, TLB)


The ends of each chapter were my favorite parts. Called Unpack Your Survival Box, these sections provided practical lists. The lists gave ideas for connecting better with one’s new community, suggestions for making the reader’s new house a home and relative Bible verses packed with encouragement.

This book truly is a treasure. I have already shared it with multiple “moving friends” and pray it impacted them as much as it did for me. It’s one I will surely reference from time to time as it was impossible to absorb all the wisdom the first time through.

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)


I received this book free from the publisher through the Tyndale House Publishers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Profile Image for Nora St Laurent.
1,636 reviews102 followers
Read
May 7, 2016
This book is well thought out. It's not one that tells you how to pack and label your boxes for moving. This author helps readers help themselves and their family get emotionally reader to move. Then she had steps for them to take to ready to get connected in their new community and thrive in that new environment.

The author gives readers a peek into a few of her moves, and that of some others. Showing there are all types of reasons and ways people get ready to move. This author shows that moving is not just about unpacking and setting up house somewhere else. There is so much that happens from point A to B. I hadn’t thought of the process of grieving, letting go of the past and coping with what you left behind; as you remember what was, and look forward to what is. The author shows how she had to choose to start over. She says," I had to let God mold me through this process…until I allowed God to refine me and teach me…I couldn’t be ready to move forward in my life…I couldn’t mature in Christ until I let him mend and mold me!”

The author has heart to heart sections in the chapter where she wants to point out a scripture reference to help you look deeper in the situation or matter. Some of the topics mentioned are: Dealing with the emotional stress of leaving family and friends
How to support your spouse through a relocation (and deal with the stress of moving)
How to help children adjust to new surroundings and make friends
How to navigate financial challenges related to moving
How to discover God’s will for you and your family in a new city. This author talks about so much more.

This is such a rich resource on moving, leaving place and setting up things to make your new house a home emotionally. I found it very helpful and something I’ll be re-reading when I move. Change is never easy but this author helps readers cover all their bases. Even ones they didn’t know they had!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins! www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com
481 reviews12 followers
May 18, 2016
Always Watching is Book 1 of a new series by Lynette Eason.
It's fast paced and suspenseful and a thrilling story to read.

From the back cover . . . Intensity. Skill. Tenacity.
The bodyguards of Elite Guardians Agency have it all.
When it becomes clear that popular psychiatrist and radio personality Wade Savage has a stalker, his father secretly hires Elite Guardians to protect his son. But when Wade's bodyguard is attacked and nearly killed, agency owner Olivia Edwards must step in and fill the gap.

Olivia's skills are about to be tested to the limit as Wade's stalker moves from leaving innocent gifts at his door to threatening those closest to him--including Olivia. But in her mind, even more dangerous than the threats to her life is the hold her handsome client has on her heart.
ENDORSEMENTS

"Lynette has written another fast-paced book--lace up your tennis shoes and grab a water bottle. It's a race against death."

DiAnn Mills, author of Deadlock

"Eason's Always Watching had me 'always reading' until I devoured it. Riveting suspense, complex characters, and a twisty, turning plot kept me up until I finished it at 2 a.m. This is one of the best romantic suspense novels I've read in a long time. Highly recommended!"

Colleen Coble, author of The Inn at Ocean's Edgee and the Hope Beach series
What I thought . . .
Image result for stars for book reviews

Super fast paced. The plot was full of twists and turns.
Kept me on the edge of my seat. This romantic thriller keeps you guessing at each page turn. I actually thought I knew who the villain was. But I was dead wrong!

Eason does a great job of weaving the subtle romance and the challenges the characters face with their faith beliefs.

I received a complimentary copy for my honest review.



Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Christian Book (dot). This review is linked at these retailers and on Good Reads.
Profile Image for Shaun Lee.
191 reviews6 followers
April 12, 2016
Miller's labour of love reveals that she is most passionate about ministering to women who have moved home. If Ravi Zacharias' heart beats for defending the gospel and Reinhard Bonnke's for crusades, Susan Miller's beats for women having through moving their families multiple times. The content provides for extremely light reading; a stressed out person would find the book a breeze to go through.

What this book lacks in theological and exegetical accuracy, it makes up for the abundance of case studies/real life accounts and practical advice! I'd imagine a Pentecostal woman would be thoroughly blessed and encouraged (a more reformed woman however may feel quite uncomfortable about the numerous bible verses quoted in isolation and bible characters cited as examples with no typological foreshadowing of Christ mentioned). But I guess Miller's target audience would probably not require deep theological expositions of the majesty of God and his infinite power etc. What they need would be practical steps to manage the stress and loss of having moved home!

After reading some books you'd probably wonder to yourself, "what did I just waste my time on?" I assure you, this is not one of them. I thoroughly enjoyed the content even though as a single unmarried male who has not moved even once in my 28 years of life! I highly recommend it, regardless of whether you are buying it for yourself or a person who is preparing to, in the process of, or had recently moved home! (The theology student in me still wishes that Miller would partner with a bible scholar to make the Scripture quotations more hermeneutically accurate - that's where I'd put in the last star!)

I received this book from the Tyndale House Publishers' Blog Network Program in exchange for this review.
Profile Image for April.
209 reviews10 followers
September 6, 2024
Shallow* and long-winded at times, but 4 stars for relentless positivity about the good that can come from moving - and reminders to focus on God more than my circumstances - which was just what I needed bc moving (yet again) just stinks and is SO hard.

Love how she said we do have God’s promises. We do not have God’s explanations. We rest in the promises He gives.

*there’s some stupid advice like “start a collection,” “tell your husband you believe in him,” “buy something pretty for your new house,” “get your nails done,” etc….
Profile Image for April.
964 reviews32 followers
August 18, 2014
When I first got married, I encountered up until that point in my life, my first BIG move. A move out of state, away from family and friends and things familiar. Someone recommended this book to me. I read it the first time on my own and found it helpful. Later, after one of my now many moves (I have now been married for 10 years and in that time have moved 10 times. Some small and local, and 4 to different states), I did it with a group at a church and found that to be even more helpful. Following that I co-taught this book and still recommend it to others. One of the things that really stuck with me and can be applied to your spiritual, daily life, as well as to moves, is to bloom where you are planted. That is to bloom in whatever place or circumstances God has you in... Good stuff!
Profile Image for Debbi Huntington.
39 reviews3 followers
May 3, 2016
I requested the book "After The Boxes Are Unpacked" by Susan Miller, mostly because we are in the process of selling our home and move out of state. I thought it would have tips and suggestions on actually packing and moving, but it was more about the emotional side of moving. Leaving a house you love, friends and neighbors, and all the extra that gives our lives excitement. And it was a great book. In today's society, we have all become very mobile, so making new (and lasting) friendships is very difficult, and exhausting. Susan has filled this book with suggestions, encouragement, and scriptures. So if you're planning a move, or are still have trouble fitting into where you live now, you'll enjoy this book.
Profile Image for Kimberly Anne .
17 reviews2 followers
October 4, 2014
After the Boxes Are Unpacked was a refreshing and spiritual read. My husband and I have moved our family around a lot and in each of those moves, was heartache. We just never felt stable. We are now in a better place than previous moves, but it was hard for me, especially to adjust. I wish I had read this book 3 years ago. Now that I have, I understand the reason for moving and it where God wants us to be. The author gives great insight and encouragement in this book, using scripture verses and her own personal stories, as well as other's to help the readers adjust to their living spaces and environment.
Profile Image for Nicole.
201 reviews6 followers
August 17, 2016
I used this book as a daily devotional breaking up the chapters into days. This book is written from a Christian perspective with lots of relatable Bible scriptures and stories. If you are struggling with a move or your new home, then After The Boxes Are Unpacked is for you. Some days I wasn't ready for the information I was receiving. But there is a simple truth every day. You are where God wants you to be and there is no denying that. You just have to figure out how to come to terms with that truth. I would suggest starting with Susan Miller's book :)
Profile Image for Laura.
676 reviews
October 23, 2010
I'm reading this book as a part of a small group. The book itself is okay but I love the premise of helping women adjust to a move. My group is awesome and the book provides good fodder for discussion but I don't think the book would have the same punch without a discussion group. So I would give it 3 or 4 stars with a group but only 2 on its own.
Profile Image for Tim Pollock.
171 reviews3 followers
April 30, 2012
More like 3 stars for actual content, but the 4th is for the research/scripture that Susan Miller packs into this book.

While this book is intended for women (as my wife is currently reading it), it's just as helpful for men to read it, as we are idiots who need everyday reminders that women and men think differently.
Profile Image for Tim.
168 reviews16 followers
April 30, 2012
More like 3 stars for actual content, but the 4th is for the research/scripture that Susan Miller packs into this book.

While this book is intended for women (as my wife is currently reading it), it's just as helpful for men to read it, as we are idiots who need everyday reminders that women and men think differently.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews

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