book nook – Page 26 – Lemon Drop Pie

As soon as I read the back cover of Momology: A Mom’s Guide to Shaping Great Kids, by Shelly Radic, I was excited to start reading this book. Listed on the back are some recommendations for Momology, and among the people quoted is Dr. Mary Manz Simon. She is the author of one of my favorite devotion books, Little Visits for Toddlers. Dr. Simon writes, “The ideas and solutions from real moms in Momology ooze with authenticity…” I couldn’t wait to dig in!

As I was talking about my opportunity to read and review Momology at my MOPS Steering Committee meeting, one of the moms asked me, “How do you have the time to read?” That’s a difficult question to answer. I have a stack on books on my nightstand begging for my attention, and a library list longer than my arm of all the books I want to read. Being a mom is a full time job, and I had plenty of excuses not to read Momology!

Excuse #1: I don’t have time to read a book about mothering because I’m too busy, mothering!

Momology is written, using the author’s words, in “short, naptime-sized bites.” And it’s true! Included in this book are stories of successes (and failures) from real moms, outcomes from surveys, the author’s own experiences, and places to record your own thoughts. Coming soon, there will be a way to share your thoughts with a community of mothers on a website: mom-ology.org. I also appreciated the quick reviews at the end of each section, so that I could remember what I had read a few days earlier!

Excuse #2: Expert opinions are a dime a dozen. I really don’t want to hear what another expert has to say.

Shelly Radic is a mom, and she draws on her experience as a mother while writing this book. What I loved about Momology is that Shelly knows what it’s like to make mistakes. She never claims to be the perfect mother! And she doesn’t expect her readers to be perfect mothers, either. She writes about how to turn weaknesses into strengths and how to take time for yourself without feeling guilty. She talks about how difficult discipline can be, and how to surround yourself with support. She talks about drawing on God for strength in our mothering, and that brings me to my next excuse:

Excuse #3: I don’t like reading Christian books. They are a little too “preachy” for my taste.

Instead of using a “preachy” tone, Shelly tells us about a loving God. She reminds us that we are wonderfully made, and that God has specifically designed us as mothers to meet our children’s needs. Through other mothers’ stories, she shares with us how moms call upon God to be their strength during difficult times, and how He blesses us every day. She gives practical advice for taking time with God during our hectic days. One of my favorite pieces of advice is how to say a “Breath Prayer.” For example, here is the Jesus Prayer. It goes like this:

Inhale deeply with, “Lord Jesus Christ.”
Exhale slowly with, “Have mercy on me.”

Not only does this prayer bring comfort, but it can change your whole reaction in a stressful situation!

At the beginning of Momology, Shelly grabbed me with this sentence about her own mother:

“Like the B on the baker’s cake, my mothering was marked by her mothering.”

She kept me reading through her practical advice that really works. I can see myself turning to Momology again and again for support and encouragement. What a great resource for moms!

Available June 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. The only compensation I received for reviewing this book was a complimentary copy, courtesy of Revell.

Growing up, it was always my dad with a book in his hands, not Mom. I tried to interest my mom in the books I was reading, such as the Chronicles of Narnia. No, she would say, I don’t like books like that. I never saw her sit down with a book except to read us stories. I thought she just didn’t care for reading.

Time passed. All of Mom’s children went away to college. All of a sudden (it seemed to me) Mom developed an interest in reading. We would talk about the books we read, and started telling each other when our favorite authors had published another novel. We were both huge fans of the Inspector Lynley series by Elizabeth George; I remember calling her when In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner was about to be released so we could eagerly anticipate reading it together. After I had my daughters, I would call her to see if she knew about the latest Sue Grafton or Nevada Barr novel. I had the new book on hold at the library — she had already bought the book and read it.

Sometimes our tastes varied from each other’s; she loved Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, while I abandoned that series after Four to Score. I adore the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith, and Mom didn’t care for it.

I once said to Mom that when I was a kid, I didn’t think she liked to read. “I had four children!” she said. “I didn’t have TIME to read!”

Last November, I was at my parent’s house, looking at a notebook Mom had made some notes in. I saw the name of a TV show and a book I had recommended to her. The TV show was The Good Wife, and the book was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer.

The author, Mary Ann Shaffer, fell ill with cancer while writing this book. Her niece, Annie Barrows, helped her finish it. Mary Ann didn’t live to see her book published. When I recommended this book to Mom, I didn’t know she wouldn’t live to read this marvelous story. Set on the island of Guernsey during the German occupation of WWII, a literary society begins with an odd cast of characters. They correspond with a writer, Juliet, who is looking for her next book subject. She soon grows to love the members of the society through those letters. Eventually, she comes to Guernsey to meet her pen pals. Mom would have loved this book.

I think some of you may have: a. heard of this book, or b. read this book already. It is very popular, and I would definitely urge you to read it if you haven’t already!

(One of my pet peeves when reading other reviews of this book is that a couple of bloggers have forgotten the word PIE when typing the title. During WWII, provisions on the island were scarce. The Guernsey Literary Society wanted to have refreshments at their meetings, which was difficult with no flour available. One of the recipes concocted to create a dessert with available ingredients was a PIE baked with a potato peel crust. Hence, the title The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.)

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