1.14.2010

My Review: Essie in Progress by Marjorie Presten


Essie in Progress
by Marjorie Presten

Womens Fiction / General / Christian

Kregel Publications
Copyright 2009
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780825435652


(from Amazon.com):

From the Back Cover


Today, Essie felt confident, in charge, in control. But all that could change so easily . . .

In a matter of seconds, two small children replaced Essie's short-lived illusion of confidence with the reality of chaos. When did happily-ever-after begin? Where was her fairy-tale rescue? There must be more to life, to motherhood, than this. All the trials, the temper tantrums, the disasters must lead to a glorious ending eventually. There simply must be more significance to the routine, the mundane, the hassles of raising children.

She ached to find it.

Can Essie continue to juggle her job, her motherly duties, her impulsive husband, and a forlorn father-in-law who has taken up residence in a dilapidated sailboat?

For every well-meaning, time-starved wife and mother, Essie in Progress is a clever foray into a life so harried and yet so familiar. Writing with a unique style and genuine Southern sensibility, author Marjorie Presten offers a stirring message about discovering and embracing life as it's meant to be lived--the life God wants for you.


My Thoughts:

Essie in Progress was another venture outside my normal realm of reading. It's definitely something I wouldn't normally choose to read, and I have mixed feelings about it. Let me try to explain. I feel that Essie in Progress mostly targets moms, soon-to-be moms, stay-at-home moms, etc., and since I'm none of those, I didn't really identify with Essie. However, on the other hand, this book has a lot to offer for those of us that aren't moms. There are important "life" lessons to be learned by all. For example, whether you're a wife, someone's best friend, a sister, or "just" a woman; there is something here for you, too.

While seeing the world thru Essie's eyes, and living her daily life with her, you will experience many different aspects of life: being a wife, a daughter, a mother, a friend, a part of the community, an employee trying to decide where you want to go with your job, etc. This book covers so many different areas of life, that I could go on and on, but I'll let you experience them for yourself.

There are a few characters that I feel are worth mentioning...first of which is Ham. Ham was my favorite character of all. I never knew what he would be doing next, or what words would be coming out of his mouth...he's great! I also enjoyed Essie's kids, Cole and Juliet. Even though they could be really annoying at times, you just can't help loving them and their childish antics. The one person who annoyed me the most was Pearl, Essie's mom. She got under my skin more than once!

If you want to find out more about Marjorie Presten, and her book, please be sure to visit her at: FaithfulReader.com

*I would like to say "thank you" to Marjorie for providing a copy of her book for me to review! Her generosity in no way affected my personal review.*

2 comments:

Renee (BlacknGoldGirlsBookSpot) said...

Oooo sounds fun! I'm glad that you liked it even though it wasn't your normal type of read!

xoxo~ Renee

Margaret Metz said...

Great review! :o)