A Book Review Actually 2 Books

Mother Daughter Duet

by Cheri Fuller and Ali Plum

About the book:

When a daughter is born, her mother has a thousand hopes and dreams for her, especially that they will be best friends one day.

Unfortunately, even the best of intentions can go awry. There are so many challenges on the journey to adult friendship that the reality is fraught with friction and frustration. But a harmonious relationship is possible.

Award-winning author Cheri Fuller and her daughter, Ali Plum, have been there and have discovered the keys to a healthy relationship. In Mother-Daughter Duet they share their story—each from her own perspective—in which they have experienced distance and tension, growth and challenge, and, ultimately, acceptance and harmony. Filled with personal anecdotes and based on several basic principles (letting go; listening; respect; setting boundaries; and more), Mother-Daughter Duet helps moms repair the breach so that daughters want to draw close.

The mother-daughter dynamic is intense, personal, complex, and unique. But mothers and daughters can achieve mutual respect and learn to celebrate their differences when they learn the two-part harmony of the mother-daughter duet.

When I was offered the chance to review this book, my first thought was “no” because I don’t have a daughter and my mother has passed. I thought that reading this book would revive memories of times with my mother.

This book is about a mother and daughter who “lost” their connection with each other over the years. Both describe how that connection became lost over the years and how each felt about that lost connection. They also described the work they put into creating a newer, stronger relationship based on them both being adults.

Mom had to work on letting her daughter go. Yes, she had helped her to pack up and move out and even encouraged her to go. But Mom didn’t really “let go”, she would still do everything she could to rescue her daughter when it seemed she needed it. Even if the daughter didn’t want Mom to rescue her.

It’s a very frank and open discussion of their problems and interviews with other moms and daughters. There are discussion questions geared just for Mom or just daughters or both in the book. There is advice in this book about forgiveness, from both Mom and Daughters points of view. Forgiveness is key to creating a connection and harmonious relationship between yourselves.

I would recommend this book to anyone who might be experiencing a difficult time with your parent or child. It’s a easy read and is very open and honest.

You can buy the book here:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781601421623&ref=externallink_mlt_motherdaughterduet_sec_0119_01

Dancing with My Father

by Sally Clarkson

About the Book:

The reality of living in a broken, fallen world can leave women feeling overcome by fear, guilt, and weariness. Many develop “sawdust souls,” numb to any sense of joy.

In this warm and wise book, author Sally Clarkson invites readers to take God’s hand and let Him lead them into a life of anticipation, passion, and purpose. With the voice of a trusted mentor, she reveals how, by getting in tune with the rhythm of God’s presence, women can nurture an inner attitude of anticipation and celebration even in the stressful seasons of life.

Through rich biblical insights woven with real-life stories, women will be inspired to recapture a spirit of joy as they follow God’s lead on the dance floor of life.

This book describes a woman’s journey to a joyful, child-like happiness with God. She found a lack of joy in her life, especially within her family and all the challenges of raising children. She wanted to do more than trudge through her days, feeling the disappointment of life.

After remembering a time in a park watching a little boy twirl around in joy, she decided she wanted to feel that joy and child-like abandonment in her relationship with God and knew it would follow in the other parts of her life. At the end of each chapter are questions you can ask yourself and compare to your life in your journey to a joyful existence with God in your life.

This book was a very easy read, I actually read it over the weekend. While I am not looking for this type of relationship with God, there are pieces of this book that I can apply to my life and start looking for good and joy in parts of my life. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who may be dissatisfied with her life. There are wonderful tips that can be applied easily in to find joy and goodness in your life.

You can buy the book here:
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307457066&ref=externallink_wbp_dancingwithmyfather_sec_0119_01


This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.