Review of Grace Cafe: Serving up Recipes for Faithful Mothering

Book Review: Grace Cafe by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle

I’m so blessed to be a part of The Catholic Company’s blogger review program. I get little pieces like this book, the title in it’s entirety is Grace Cafe: Serving Up Recipes for Faithful Mothering.

It is written very much like a letter that your good friend across country would write you. It was a very easy read (3 days with two preschoolers underfoot and a household to run, AND a 13 hour birth I doula-ed for). Each chapter has a Theme Ms. Cooper O’Boyle addresses. All of which are very applicable to every mother out there.

I took from this book many examples from my personal favorite holy person, Pope JPII the Great, as well as Blessed Mother Teresa and various other saints in our history… our current Pope, Benedict XVI is quoted with his feelings on motherhood, and parenting in general.

You might be surprised if you’re expecting an A, B, C “guide” per se to being a faithful mother. This is more a work of encouragement- that being a mother IS a true, valuable vocation- even if society devalues a woman that has the “luxury” of staying home. Truth be told, I work a business from home because we cannot afford, on two incomes, daycare for our children. So we budget and do without a lot of things my husband and I took for granted when we were a family of three. I came from reading this book refreshed that I am valued for what I’m doing, regardless of what our bank balance is.

This book also gave me a bit of encouragement that I can be a loving mother and a spiritual woman at the same time. God wants us to lift up the elevated blood pressure and dirty dishes. A “God please help me on this” is just as valuable in His eyes than the Litany of the Saints…at the same time, He wants the “Thank you Father” when your 3 year old FINALLY has an accident-free (toilet) day…

Another point that struck me is the emphasis on making Sunday a day for God and your family. While my husband works evenings on Sundays, we make sure to have breakfast and family time after mass, before he has to go to work. I’m sure it’ll pay off with interest when our children are grown and on their own, as well as when I’m watching my life with God in Heaven.

I really recommend this book if you’re feeling a little jaded or overwhelmed being a mom (and that goes for working moms too!).

Visit the reviewers blog here: Superdoulamom