Mom Over Miami

Hannah is doing her best to be the woman, wife and mother she was meant to be. This means taking care of the kids, being the typical soccer mom, having the team over for nachos, ordering new furniture, etc. Basically she is putting everyone ahead of her and still thinks it's not enough. She tells her adventures in emails to her sisters which end up being published as a popular newspaper column. So this means people read about Hannah's mistakes and going through life unexpectedly while she tries to make it seem like a breeze to her. But when her husband cancels out on a long planned trip on her, Hannah decides she can't take it anymore and takes the trip to Miami on her own, leaving everything behind. This is a book that soccer moms will relate to when there are times that you just want to get away from it all. Hannah is the type of person that wants to please everyone but instead finds she can't do it all. I was glad when she finally made that revelation. I enjoyed her interactions with the soccer team, she sounds like she could be a real fun mom to be around with. I was really glad that Hannah "ran away" and took a vacation for herself. I would have too in her situation. Her husband was taking her for granted, especially with the cleaning up the office for free deal. That is not something a wife should have to do especially if she has to take care of their own household duties. So I was happy that she took the time to enjoy herself, and even though she felt guilty at first, she really deserved the alone time. While it was frustrating at first to keep seeing Hannah having to suffer while the other moms got off scot-free, it was nice to finally see a so called perfect mom reveal her secrets and not judge Hannah for not being like her. On the other hand I did not like the neighbor that prejudged Hannah and felt sorry that she had to put up with that. I also did not really like the bit about the interior decorator sisters from the church. They seemed a bit annoying. Other than that I enjoyed this book a lot, more fun than Sadie in waiting. It's a great mom lit book to read when you just want to escape your own family life.

Hannah Bartlett is every woman who has ever tried to live up to the Proverbs 31 ideal. "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value" --- and that's just for starters. Today she also runs a taxi service for her son's soccer team, balances volunteer work with her duties at home, tries never to put her own needs ahead of anyone else's, cares for a new baby, and constantly fights self-doubt that tells her she's not doing enough. No matter how high her plate is piled, Hannah manages to smile and accommodate. To relieve some of the pressure that builds up from her daily juggling and balancing acts, Hannah writes funny, candid emails to her family. This not only helps her stay connected but also satisfies a creative need in Hannah as well. Her sister, Sadie, enjoys them so much that she submits the letters to the Wileyville Guardian News where they are immediately published, much to the delight of women all over Wileyville. They are so well-received that the editor would like Hannah to write a regular column. A dream come true for any budding writer, right? Wrong. Hannah sees it as a betrayal by her sister, one who has revealed to the world the insecure woman behind the perfectionist image she has worked so hard to create. There is plenty of meat in this little book, but there is also lots of love and humor. As the "Snack Mom" for the soccer team, Hannah is regularly tricked by the eight-year-olds into saying, "It's not your Mama's house," which, with her Kentucky accent, sounds like "It's nacho Mama's house." And when she writes to her family, that's what she puts in the subject line and it eventually becomes the title for her column. Hannah's meddling but loveable Aunt Phiz flies in to help her favorite niece and makes us wish we had one just like her. She and many other colorful characters round out the cast and help move the story along. Hannah draws on her faith in God and the love of those around her to give her the courage to confront her fears and insecurities. Nacho Mama goes to Miami alone after her husband is forced to back out of their planned getaway trip. Alone with God, Hannah is finally able to come to terms with the issues stemming from her mother's abandonment of her at 3 weeks of age. Annie Jones aptly illustrates that all things do work together for good for those who love the Lord. --- Reviewed by Maggie Harding, a substance abuse counselor in Phoenix, AZ who wanted to be Brenda Starr before life intervened. She reviews for www.bookreporter.com and www.womenonwriting.com. To contact Maggie, email [email protected].