Courageous Divorce: A Christian Woman's Guide to Healing, Rebuilding, and Embracing an Abundant Life

by Alisha Roth

After being raised in an evangelical home, graduating from a Christian college, spending three years in training to be a missionary, and giving birth to four daughters, the last thing Alisha Roth expected for her life was a divorce. Yet, in 2020, she found herself signing papers. She felt shattered, shamed, and very, very alone.

Despite the high rate of divorce among Christians, many women experiencing it find little support or even sympathy in the church. As a result, a process that is already disorienting, scary, and isolating can feel even more so. In this compassionate book filled with practical help, Alisha walks you
· making the decision to leave
· navigating the aftermath of divorce
· rebuilding a beautiful, abundant life after everything has changed

We were made to thrive, and while divorce is incredibly painful, it is not the end of your life. In fact, divorce can be a chance to find yourself, deepen your faith, and start living a more fulfilling and vibrant life. Let this book guide you on your own journey of doing just that.

Genres: Christian

240 pages, Paperback

Published March 24, 2026

Reviews

[Jenai Auman]

Read for endorsement! Publishing in 2026.

[Camden Morgante]

As Alisha Roth admits, divorce wasn’t part of God’s original design. And as a Christian and a marriage therapist, I value the covenant of marriage. Yet when I think about my clients who are caught in abusive marriages and afraid of the shame of divorce–Courageous Divorce is for them. Through sharing her painful and personal journey of ending an abusive marriage, healing, and rebuilding her future, Roth embodies this courage and shows that God’s heart is to protect the vulnerable. I pray this book inspires other women to choose what honors their dignity, safety, and worth.

Disclaimer: Read for endorsement. Written by a writer friend who shares my agent.

[Heidi Edmonds]

I picked up this book, not out of personal need, but in hopes that I could gain information to help me support those in my life walking this path. It was only somewhat helpful in that aim, but I do think that this book could be helpful for its target audience.

[Sarah]

I have read several books on divorce recovery, and I think this one is just okay compared to the other books. It goes into less depth than other books about recovering from trauma related to divorce. However, I appreciated the author's honesty about the sexual abuse she suffered in her marriage, which she presented in a sensitive way. I thought she did a good job about offering practical tips. When she mentioned that she was unfaithful during her marriage, this hit a sensitivity point for me because it caused major problems in my own marriage and in my parents' and grandparents' marriages. Others may not be as sensitive as I am on that issue. But I felt that the term "unfortunate" to describe her choices, plus the little time she spent on this, wasn't quite enough on that particular subject. I also don't know if I completely agree with her points about dating. However, I think this book is generally a good resource for someone just wanting basic advice that's not too deep.

I received a preview copy from NetGalley.

[Kim]

Alisha Roth's Courageous Divorce: A Christian Woman's Guide to Healing, Rebuilding, and Embracing an Abundant Life is exceptional! The author does a wonderful job weaving in scripture and God's view on divorce from a biblical standpoint, and gives a great deal of encouragement for those suffering through this unwanted journey. Roth provides ample resources and tips on how to navigate the different stages of the divorce process and co-parenting, with a view of scripture intertwined throughout the book. The third section of her book gives so much support to the readers and dives into the post-divorce era, as well as rebuilding your life to live abundantly, as God would want us to do. I highly recommend this easy to read resource for anyone who is living in a difficult or destructive marriage, navigating separation or divorce, or post-divorce. Thank you to NetGalley and Revell books for the advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Jessica Telian]

Wow. From the dedication that brought tears to my eyes, to the beautiful and inspiring benediction at the end, this book is an incredible resource that fills a desperate need. For years and years, so many Christians have confronted women in abusive situations with a "Well, God hates divorce so just pray harder and submit better", neatly dismissing and washing their hands of so many women's pain.

This book brings up the point that many fail to acknowledge: God also hates abuse, especially of the vulnerable, and it offers a way forward to the many, many women caught in those situations. Full of validation and inspiration for the woman beat down by years of abuse, Alisha also offers myriad practical insights, often hard-won through her own experiences.

I strongly believe every Christian should read this book, and I've already given copies to multiple friends in related hard experiences. Highly, HIGHLY recommend.

[Anne Jisca]

My divorce was finalized last summer, hence why I picked up this book. I feel this book may work better as a memoir than a guide. I also felt like some of the suggestions came from a more privileged place in life. Having people to call for help, being able to drop off your kids at your mom's to go to the gym, etc I understand self care is important, but we don't all have a village unfortunately. Especially when a christian woman divorces and loses her church family.

However I am always glad to see books for Christian women that address divorce. As Gisele Pelicot has said: "it's time for shame to change sides." When a christian woman divorces due to abuse, our vows were already broken by our partner, we're just calling it out and moving forward with healing.

[Roo]

This is what I needed just now, going through a similar process I wanted to read this book to help me guide me through it all. It’s a huge support to all going through the divorce procedure. I really enjoyed it and will go back through and reread chapters when I need them. I liked that the author included a few chapters about dating again. A 5 star read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy,

[Stephanie Owen]

Written by a friend. An encouraging read for someone experiencing divorce. I gained understanding on how to be a better friend to someone on this journey.

[Ginny Yurich]

Extremely well written with a lot of takeaways that would be helpful for many life circumstances. I hope she writes another book!