Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe {a Review}

I don’t really do many reviews here on The Beautiful Deep but I really wanted to tell you about the book Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson.

I know, I know, there are SO many books on mothering out there and what busy mom even has time to sit down and read one more book?  But this book is not just another book about mothering. No, this book is truly a deep breath or fresh air that every mother needs. It is a call to action that will spur you on but not in a way that gets you all excited and ads to your to do list with little hope of follow through.  No, this book will have you nodding your head saying “yes, I so know what you are saying.” and “I can do this!”

Sarah Mae, who has 3 children ages 6 and under, is so raw and honest about the struggles of early motherhood.  There are so many challenges and she doesn’t sugar coat the truth about her actions or motivations in those incredibly difficult and challenging days with little ones (and multiple little ones at that). Sarah Mae does a brilliant job in the book of admitting how hard mothering is but also how much hope there is and how to find real, tangible help in the midst of this season of being tired and feeling overwhelmed.

After Sarah Mae takes a turn sharing her struggles and how she has found hope, Sally Clarkson steps in with her words of advice.  Sally has raised 4 children mostly all into adulthood now (I believe her youngest is preparing for college) and she truly amazes me.  She doesn’t amaze me because she has taught her children incredible things and has tea with them and has read them many books and prepared them for a life in the world equipped with a Christian world view.  Those things are impressive and desirable but what impresses me the most is that this woman listens to the Holy Spirit and does what He says.  This may often go against the grain of what other people would advise but this is where true wisdom is found.

Sally Clarkson writes from her heart and is passionate about you learning the truths that she has learned.  She is a woman who has surrendered her life to God and considers motherhood to be her greatest calling BUT she will not condemn you with all that you are not doing but rather spur you on in love toward seeking God’s ways and putting Him first.  She is not about formulas that lead to false hope or expectations in what a formula will do for you but rather all about the hope that a life yielded to God and the truth in His Word brings about.  And it is real hope for real moms who desperately need to breathe. She will gently lead you to the feet of Christ in your mothering and there you will find comfort, healing, joy, appreciation for beauty and acceptance for the way He made you.  It is a beautiful place to be and you will get up ready to be the best mom you can be with power beyond yourself to get you there.

I am almost beyond the years of mothering little ones.  My youngest is 4 now and my oldest is 14.  I had many years with many babies close together.  My oldest was just 15 months when my twins arrived.  I then had a 2 1/2 year break before I had 4 more babies within 5 years time (including the little one we lost).  They were incredibly trying years, those early years.  The new season I am in is equally as busy and has me just as desperate as the first few years but it is a new kind of busy and a different kind of desperate.  Even though I am moving past the little years I found the book Desperate to be incredibly encouraging and hope-filled.  I found myself wishing I had had it when I was first starting out and it will become one of my go to gifts for new moms for sure.

I hope you’ll read it.  I’d love to hear your thoughts on it too.  Take a few minutes a day {assuming you can put it down} to let yourself be deeply refreshed by the truth in this book and you will be blessed!

You can find the book on Amazon here.