Book Review: For the Love

For the Love:
by Jen Hatmaker
Christian, Inspirational
I listened to the audiobook read by the author. 
You might like this book if you enjoy Mommy Blogs; inspirational, non-denominational faith-based writing; or need some encouragement. This author/blogger is really popular in her world, and you may have heard of her book Seven, in which she experimented with extreme limits on consumption. You also may have seen her series on HGTV about renovating her house.


I'm trying to be better about recording my reading, so I'm writing this now, as I finish, rather than trying to catch up. Score one for letting go of perfectionism. Which leads me to this review. This book was well-timed for me. The subtitle is "Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards. I have been hard on myself about my mothering for a while now, and this book helped me wake up to some realities that I need to work on in my life. The ideas in about 2/3 of the chapters contributed greatly to my mental well-being for right now. She is brash, funny, sincere, sarcastic and authentic, and hearing her words in her own voice was generally a good experience. She is potently confident however, and her presentation has an insistent, almost relentless style (though she came across to me as goodhearted, if bold), so listen to the sample to make sure her performance suits you.

There were a few lighter weight chapters (a rant about current leggings-as-pants trends, and her life before Twitter recounted in fake Tweets, and a couple of others) that did not resonate as strongly with me, but they did offer contrast to the heaver, more tender parts.

This book represented Jen to me as a woman of faith and integrity who desires to influence other women for good. I appreciated that and sensed her total earnestness. She shared knowledge and insight learned by experience, and wants to be viewed as relatable and realistic. I did love her honesty.

It's not a perfect book, but parts of it were incredibly meaningful to me (as in weeping out loud and feeling great rushes of relief kind of meaningful), and I do believe it comes from her heart. It certainly won't appeal to everyone, but if you fit my description above, it will give you moments of laughter, gratitude, and inspire a greater appreciation for yourself and your unique female greatness.

Let me know what you think.