My Monastery Is a Minivan: Where the Daily Is Divine and the Routine Becomes Prayer

Reading this book changed my way of seeing the world. It made me laugh out loud, cry with sadness, and open up more to live my life with deeper compassion. In her acknowledgments, Denise Roy mentions that she was inspired by many of my own favorite authors: Anna Quindlen, Anne Lamott, Rachel Naomi Remen, Anne Dillard, Thich Nhat Hanh. I'd recommend books written by these wonderful authors, and I'd add this book to my list of highly recommended books.

I bought this book because I saw a notice that it had been awarded First Place as Family Life Book of the Year by the Catholic Press Association. I loved reading it -- and I recommend it to people of all religious traditions. The stories will make you laugh and cry, and they'll help you "find God in ALL things." As I read it, I came to realize that what I do as a parent really matters. Even my children like this book -- because it made their mom slow down and have more fun with them!

I was fed up and frazzled with being "just a stay at home Mom" when My Monastery is a Minivan was recommended to me. I was angered and frustrated believing that the co-op preschool demands, a constantly messy house, and the needs of my boys kept me from delving deep into a connection with the Divine. Within the first pages of reading this life-altering book I cried, first slow tears then they just wouldn't stop -- of course I was in public. I didn't care. I snorted, laughed, and cried until finally crusty layers fell from my heart. My spirituality is earth-based and the cornerstone of my writing. But I was blocked to my connection to Mother Earth and God because I had failed to find the connection with my two greatest gifts from Spirit - my children. Parenting books usually make me feel further isolated because they hold up such a vision of perfection. This book made me feel good enough and then some. The 35 examples illustrated how to see Divinity in raising children, with laughter, reverence, and appreciation. Now I laugh more, enjoy more and smile more. My faith and trust has been restored. My boys have blossomed with my regained appreciation of our time together. And though I still get bored from time to time, I am not so dramatic about it. Recommend this book to parents of all religions, creeds, and cultures. It is a great gift.

I can honestly say that this book made me laugh and cry more than any other book I've ever read. Sitting in the doctor's waiting room, I was laughing hysterically, and the whole office wanted to know what I was reading. Other chapters are so wonderfully compassionate and inspiring; after reading a few of these, my way of seeing the world changed. I highly recommend this book if you want to experience real joy and feel a deeper connection with all in your life. Its message is simple and yet profound.