Are you exhausted? Overwhelmed? Feeling inadequate? Did you yell* at your children today?
Have you ever heard of Cindy Rollins? She recently wrote a book, and I think it’s the best thing that’s been written on homeschooling and motherhood in a good, long while. I don’t remember the last time I couldn’t put a book down. It took me about 24 hours to read.
And yes, I know I’m interrupting my series “A Day in the Life of a Crazy Fool.” Don’t worry, I’ll continue with Part 3 later this week.

Her book is called Mere Motherhood.
Top Ten Reasons Why This Book is Worth Reading:
- Even though Cindy did not enjoy being pregnant, and feared labor and delivery, she had nine children – 8 boys and 1 girl, plus a few miscarriages. (Birth stories are never boring to read about. Click HERE for my mother’s account of me.)
- No, Cindy is not a Catholic, but she greatly esteems Stratford Caldecott. (This man was a genius. You should read him too.) And she quotes Mary Eberstadt and Josef Pieper and G.K. Chesterton.
- She loves the Bible.
- She thinks everyone ought to thank God for Catholic hospitals and their pro-life stance.
- Her boys blew stuff up. And started fires. And wrecked 7 cars.
- She thinks Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem The Charge of the Light Brigade is one of the best poems ever written, which it is.
- She admits that she’s made mistakes, like trying to live on a old decrepit farm, infested with rodents.
- All kinds of animals make an appearance in her memoir – rats, snakes, bats, mice, hawks…these things are also never boring to read about.
- She once wore jumpers, until her daughter pointed out that they’re not very fashionable.
- She takes on tough issues like puberty and spending too much time on electronic devices. (Mea culpa.)

If you’d like more on Cindy Rollins, I’d recommend listening to her podcasts done with Pam Barnhill. There are three of them: Episodes 1, 27, and 43. They’re all great and can be found by clicking HERE or on Pam Barnhill’s website, which I’ve linked on my sidebar. Once you’re there, click on Podcasts, then on Morning Basket. Rollins also does podcasts for the Circe Institute, if you’re interested.