Book Review - Desperate by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson

Attention Moms everywhere!  
There is hope for the mom who needs to breathe!

I have found a fantastic book for moms that I wish I'd had seventeen years ago when my kids were young. Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson have discovered a heartbeat of moms that I haven't seen much on book shelves.

This book is different because it isn't one woman telling other moms how to be a "better" mom.  There are no lists of ideas to try, or new recipes that all kids will eat, or discipline that works!  This book is DIFFERENT.

My favorite thing about Desperate is Sarah Mae's crystal-clear honesty.  She shares her heart openly - even the stuff we don't like to say out loud.  Like,

• "I just can't be a mother today."
• "I just want to be alone ..."
• "Lately it's been easier to put on the T.V. than put on being a good mother."
• "I am so selfish!  Every day I see it in myself more and more."
• "When my life feels overwhelming, I escape to the Internet."

The second thing I love about Desperate is Sally Clarkson's
wisdom shared within her own failures turned into victories.  Each chapter starts with an exchange of letters between the two women - Sarah sharing her heart and asking for help.  Then Sally counters with words of godly wisdom, encouragement and all are completely bathed in "been-there-done-that."

There are also times after each chapter to open scripture and speak openly with God with your own personal struggles and ways to re-think them.  Could be used as a group study of women together.

In the end of the book are twenty-two pages of Q&A with Sally and Sarah.  I loved hearing other moms express their questions from the heart that make me feel so "normal".  My fears and questions are actually felt by others out there.  And that may be the greatest reason to buy this book and pass it on to every mom you know - so not one mom ever feels she is not normal.

There is also a special note of attention for single moms included.

Here are some resources for moms to use that are at our fingertips thanks to these wonderful women.

• sarahmae.com
• www.facebook.com/sarahmaewrites
• www.twitter.com/sarahmae
• www.incourage.me

Sarah is known as an influential blogger, conference host and author. She is listed as one of the Christian Broadcasting Networks Six Women Leaders to Follow on Twitter.

• itakejoy.com
• momheart.org
• wholeheart.org

Sally is a popular conference speaker, multi-published author and co-founder of Whole Heart Ministries with her husband Clay.

The book Desperate can be found at christian bookstores, online book retailers like Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Dayspring to name a few.

Thank you to the publishers Thomas Nelson for allowing me a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.  I am not required to review the book positively.