Courageous Joy

*Woman First, Family Always* by Kathryn Sansone
“real-life wisdom from a mother of ten”

This book caught my eye at Sam’s club and I put it on my PBS wish list. It arrived on Saturday. I don’t think I would have requested it, if I’d looked at it closer at Sam’s Club. I had hoped to find lots of practical ideas…but really there was nothing new here. It did cause me to drool over her home court which includes basketball, hockey and weights in her basement home gym. {bg}

The book is arranged around 3 main sections with 30 1 – ½ page essays on each topic. The sections are “your self”, “your marriage” and “your family and kids”. She lost me right in the beginning with such a focus on keeping touch with yourself and not loosing yourself. This flew in the face of Scripture which tells me that I gain my life when I loose it. I should think of the interests of others at least as much and often more than I think of my own personal interests. I’m to deny self. I think I “get” what she was saying…but this book was a bit to “pop culture” for my tastes. She states it is important for us to get in touch with our spirit – and our spiritual core. Then she goes on to say that this core can be different things for different people for her it is her religion. She gives a list of what it may be for others – with all choices seeming to be as valid as any other. This also lost me.

As for practical advice…all very common sense…nothing new or enlightening.

I guess she’s a big Oprah fan and been on Oprah. If I knew that Oprah highly endorsed her and this book, I’d not have picked it up. I find Oprah’s book choices to be depressing and her focus on “pop culture/religion” to be maddening. I find it even more frustrating that so many Christian women turn to Oprah more often than they turn to the Word to find answers for their daily lives. This is not a book I’d recommend. If someone wanted a book on parenting I’d recommend many others over this one. If someone wanted a book on life management, I can think of two or three I’d recommend over this one.

The great thing is that I re-listed this book last night and someone has already requested it. I’ll mail it out today and hopefully soon have more credits for more books. {G}