COMING NOVEMBER 2026
IN PAPERBACK AND EBOOK
About Repair and Remain
What are men called to be today?
Sixteen years into his home repair company, Kurt Armstrong admits he has no business messing with anyone's house. But with more than a thousand projects behind him and dozens more in the queue, why would he stop now? Written as a letter to his son, Repair and Remain is a celebration of community, family, faith, and careful construction. Between demolishing walls, designing bookshelves, and renovating bathrooms, Armstrong does for home repair what Wendell Berry did for the family farm, asking: how can humans remain spiritually rooted and whole in a throwaway world? Filled with stories and reflections that are gritty, playful, vulnerable, and real, Repair and Remain values the calluses of the hand and praises the softness of the heart.
About the Author
Kurt Armstrong
Kurt Armstrong is a writer, home-repair contractor, and lay minister at Saint Margaret’s Anglican Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has two undergraduate degrees, a master’s in theology with a concentration in creative writing, and zero official trade certifications. He has planted more than half a million trees across the mountains and boreal forests of British Columbia, hauled twenty tons of livestock mineral per day at a feed mill, and built everything from bookshelves to coffins. He lives with his wife, Erika, and their three children in the north half of a century-old duplex. Kurt has written for The Plough, Comment, Ekstasis, Geez, Mockingbird, Breaking Ground, The Globe and Mail and The Winnipeg Free Press.
Pre-order for local pickup are available for pickup in Winnipeg, Saskatoon and the Waterloo region.
For orders of 10+ copies, contact publishing@newleafnetwork.ca for discount details.
“These stories do what I think stories should: fill me with a deep sense of how precious and fragile life is. I’m grateful for Kurt’s vulnerability and gentle guidance for the daily tasks of loving and working.”
– Shad
Juno Award-winning musician, Peabody Award-winning host of Hip Hop Evolution
“...theology in a winter cap and work gloves..”
“I have no patience for abstract pontifications on the meaning of manhood. Thankfully, this book is different: it’s theology in a winter cap and work gloves. These stories about taking meds, keeping promises, fixing the stove for the third time, and practicing a long obedience in the same direction are stories that will keep you warm — and help you get to work.”
– Amy Peterson
Episcopal priest, author of Where Goodness Still Grows: Reclaiming Virtue in an Age of Hypocrisy
“Kurt Armstrong’s letter to his son offers, in place of toxic masculinity, a way to be a man in which strength flows in from skilled hands to a loving heart. It’s a vision we need.”
– Francis Spufford
Booker Prize nominee, author of Light Perpetual and Unapologetic
"I have fallen in love with Kurt Armstrong’s beautiful writing and the ethic of care that permeates every chapter. He’s a storyteller and a good one. Repair and Remain is full of gritty, down-to-earth details of real life, real struggle, real projects, and real people. From tales of Kurt’s home repair business to his pastoral conversations over bacon and eggs, to the creation and endurance of his own family life, we can see, feel, and understand what the work of love can be in all its complex beauty. Amen and Amen to this excellent book!”
– Andi Ashworth
Author of Real Love for Real Life, co-author of Why Everything That Doesn’t Matter, Matters So Much
“In this age of male loneliness and disconnection, the world offers men more isolation and rage. Kurt Armstrong’s book could not have come at a better time. He offers a way for the men in our lives to be deeply present and connected to the people they love the most. A must-read for every father, son, and brother in your life.”
– Sarah Condon
Episcopal priest, co-host of The Mockingcast
“Kurt Armstrong is one of the most empathetic writers I know. In Repair and Remain, his sincere, whimsical and moving explorations of faith, love and labour create a space for deep reflection. Across any differences in how we understand the world, Kurt’s writing reaches out to welcome me.”
– John K. Samson
Founder of ARP Books, lead singer of The Weakerthans
Join Kurt Armstrong around Canada
to hear about Repair & Remain
Upcoming events:
Stay tuned for details on upcoming events in Winter 2027
The New Leaf Press team is planning to host local gatherings that will take a deep dive into the fascinating work of Repair and Remain. Interested in participating or hosting? Sign up to stay in the know! Keep an eye on the list on the left for upcoming events.