Promises I Made My Mother

Great book! If everyone raised their children as Sam's mother raised him, the world would be a much better place. Here's to good old fashioned values!

I just LOVED this book. Once I started, I did not put it down until I had finished it, at which point I felt as if Sam was an old friend, having told me his stories over a glass of wine instead of my having read them. What a lucky man to have had a mother who instilled such values in her son, and what an inspiration to me, a mother of two. I have already read many passages from the book to my children, and will continue to remind them daily of the importance of good character. I find myself telling them more often now how special they are and how their dreams can be achieved, no matter how great. This book will make you laugh out loud and cry until your tears have run dry. I will read it again and again; it's that kind of book.

Imagine that someday, one of my two sons writes a book about the lessons I instilled as a Mother. This book gave me so much to think about and reminded me that raising children is so much more then just keeping them safe and healthy! The fact that a man immersed in the shark infested waters of Hollywood could have so much character and moral strength and see the direct connection to his Mother's life lessons is both encouraging and inspiring. Sometimes we forget that our boys are, in fact, listening to what we say and watching what we do. This book made me want to take an extra moment to talk to my boys about the everyday decisions they will face as they go out into the world. I can only hope that they have paid attention to me as Sam payed attention to the words and deeds of his loving Momma.

"Character is all you have in the dark" is my favorite quote from "Promises I Made My Mother"! This chapter alone is worth the read! What a gift and a challenge this book is to all parents, men and women-especially, single mothers trying to teach values to their young men in this compromising world. Haskell throughout the book engages the reader on a journey of choices and decisions he made all based on lessons learn early in life from his mother. The stories and examples given, run the gambit of emotions. Some made me cry and some made me laugh out loud--all good!! Great to know there are still good men in this world who can make it to the top. To quote Haskell, "We must look in the mirror often, both literally and figuratively,and have the strength of character to be honest with ourselves about what we see. Otherwise our lives become compromised and we are left forever incomplete." Don't miss this delightful and worthwhile book!

Just how DOES a single mother raise a boy into a young man in today's world? I picked up the book thinking here is a successful guy that had a positive relationship with his mom -what did she do right? Little did I know that I held a compass for guiding my own 10 year old through these early years. I never imagined the impact I had in my child's life until Promises. I want him to "shine in the light" and I am going to help him get there. An important read for single moms.