Disclosure: I received this book to review. The post contains affiliate links; if you make a purchase through the link, I will receive a small commission. I use that commission to offer blog giveaways like this one. Thank you!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you out there!  As I’ve said many times, giving birth does not qualify one to earn the congratulations for mother’s day.  Being a mother is so much more than that.  Women who have never borne a child are still mothers when they offer love, nourishment, or compassion on one of God’s creatures.  I’ve also known some mothers who had their kids yet possess the maternal instincts of a grasshopper.  So girls, today we all celebrate the moms who give of their hearts and souls to nurture their kids.  Let’s especially remember those women for whom Mother’s Day might bring a moment of sadness, whether they’ve lost a mother or they have had struggles with motherhood.  

I hope that today you get to enjoy yourself a little bit (or a lot of bit!)   Do whatever makes you happy — and even better if it makes others happy, too!  One thing that always makes me smile is finding a little treasure in my mailbox.  When my May BeautyBox5 arrived, it was really great because it contained 3 of those cooling cloths I’ve been seeing in the stores.  It’s field trip season and we’ll be headed outside more often than usual during school, so I’ll need these little refreshers. The new Harvey Prince fragrance is bright and sunny as you might imagine from the little card to which it’s attached.  But my favorite item from this month’s box is the eyeliner!  I’m all about the smokey eyes with contrasting brighter shadows that are in the mags these days.  This eyeliner goes on extra smooth and blends well.  Definitely winner!  If you haven’t subscribed to BeautyBox5 yet, what are you waiting for?  It could be the little sanity saver in your mailbox each month, too!

Recently I read the book Faith Departed by Elizabeth Maddrey.  This book summarizes the struggles of twin sisters who are in a self-appointed competition to have children.  An honest and fair description of the way that many women view childbearing, Faith Departed could have been the story of several of my friends.  It’s always disturbed me when one women becomes jealous over a baby.  That’s why June, the older sister, got on my very last nerve.  She was whiny and self-centered with just about everyone in the book!  She was very unfair toward her sister July’s desire to keep personal things to herself.  Because she was July’s twin, she expected complete disclosure from her sister.  Everyone in the story tried to pacify her when she became upset.  Once her mother was introduced, though, I could understand some of June’s behaviors. The apple didn’t fall far from that tree.

I think most women could read Faith Departed and be able to connect in some way.  For many of us, we’ve been told since we were little girls that we’ll be mothers someday.  For some of us, that journey is harder than for others.  Having struggled with my own pregnancies, I could understand a bit of what these twins went through.  If you’re going through trouble with trying to conceive, Faith Departed is a reminder to step back and gain perspective about the situation.  While the story’s details and dialogue become tedious at times, the story is one that most women will be able to relate to.

One of the biggest fears that a mother can know is the worry that something might happen to her child. Sometimes I think I should stop reading because articles about kids getting hurt completely shake the core of my maternal instinct. I just cannot fathom how I would move on with my life if something happened to one of my kids. Even beyond that, there is the fear that something would happen to me and my children would be left alone in the world. Now, I know that realistically that isn’t going to happen. Even if something did happen to me, we have a wonderful support system in our family and friends who would instantly surround my children with warmth and love. But still. I struggle to make my faith in God’s provisions overcome my fear of something harming my children.

Perhaps that’s why the book Landing just broke my heart.
If you’ve read my reviews of the other books in the Girl With Broken Wings series, you know that Maya’s story is not an easy one to read.  For one thing, there is some language that I don’t prefer to read.  I am able to skip over it in this series most of the time but it bothers me because the story is so good, why use bad language that will make some people not want to read it?  There are also unnecessary mentions of sex that, again, the story could do without.  The three main characters in the story are siblings who have been orphaned.  Well, not really, since their dad is alive but not at all a father figure in their lives.  The heartbreaking part comes in the way that Maya has no real guidance.  Even as she tries to find her niche, it’s taken away from her.  I was literally on my seat trying to decide which direction she was going.  The culminating event in the end of the book was extremely suspenseful.  Tough and determined, the siblings are loyal but not without doubt.  The story is highly engaging in a Fringe sort of way.  Is it over?  Not even close.

As I closed the book, I reflected on Diana, the mother of these children.  Although she was a terrible maternal figure who trained her kids to fight Terminator style against the Angels, she really did love them more than herself.  As she left them behind, she was hoping to give them the skills to survive.  My own children are so sheltered and innocent, but they are loved beyond belief.  Thank the good Lord that there really are angels who are watching over them and guiding them to an eternal home.