Jen Hatmaker --- author, speaker and mom to three rambunctious children --- writes about the fun, foibles and various interesting ways of interpreting motherhood from the faith and female perspectives. Her take on all things in the mommyhood realm will have her readers chuckling and nodding in agreement from page one.

Hatmaker’s stories are taken from her own experiences as a wife and mom in our oh-so-modern and technical society, where appearances seem to matter more than character. Hatmaker uses her losses and gains to describe her inward journey through each event, and seasons every chapter with lots of gentle chiding toward her fellow moms of faith (because Christ followers should know better than to fall for the silly stuff) and even more self-deprecating humor (which will spark either an “ah-ha” moment or incite a laughing fit of no small order).

Moms, whether newly minted or seasoned with care, will appreciate Hatmaker’s winsome (and oh-so-wise) words of encouragement. She is a master storyteller who woos her audience in with tell-all tales from her own life (but that are remarkably similar to every other woman’s as well) before doing an about-turn and respectfully calling moms “out” on their inner poor attitudes, outward displays of impatience and anger, or their inaction during moments when a decisive choice must be made.

She dispels the multilayered falsities mothers try to present to one another, including making comparisons between children, home and stuff; poor mommy body image; grasping the fact that one mom can’t do all things all the time; living out life using one’s God-given gifts with courage instead of whining like a toddler; focusing on Jesus and taking his love to the neighborhood where you live; teaching children to lend a hand to help them grow up; why contentment is worth more than couture; not judging other moms who work outside the home (or don’t), developing eyes that see the blessings others miss; being willing to keep on being a woman with an identity apart from being a mom; and on not worrying, period.

Just as the title promises, Hatmaker fulfills her mission to take women out of the spin cycle of mothering for a bit and lessen their “mother load” with some wit, warmth, and generous servings of grace. For sure, this is a book moms will want to “recycle” again and again as they wash themselves afresh with Jesus’ instructions on living as a woman of kindness and compassion. It’s been said women are the hearts of any home, and Hatmaker demonstrates how to make that truism a reality, despite the numerous obstacles they face to forgo the loving in favor of getting that last load of work accomplished. She helps women see what’s most important rather than what appears to be most pressing.