Years ago, I read a book called Please Don’t Drink the Holy Water by some woman I had never heard of before. What Catholic mother of preschoolers wouldn’t be drawn to that title? I loved that book, and the author, Susie Lloyd, became synonymous with “hysterical” to me.

When I heard she had written a new book, Bless Me, Father, For I Have Kids, it went immediately on my mental “must-buy” book list. Last April, I went to the CHAPLET Homeschool Conference in New Jersey, and not only did I find her book for sale there, Susie herself was the one selling it, and signing copies, too. I checked her out from a distance and thought, “Gosh, she looks younger than I imagined…and cooler, too.” She was wearing a denim skirt, but unlike the uniform of most Catholic homeschool mothers of many, hers risquély revealed her knee caps. “Wow, funny and hip!” When I confronted myself with these thoughts, I realized I could not be trusted to express my admiration without looking like a groupie-stalker type. I took some advice from Abraham Lincoln, spoke as few words as possible, purchased my book and beat a hasty retreat.

She was also at the IHM Conference, and I smiled and waved from a distance before scurrying away. At that point I still hadn’t cracked her book, being a bit consumed with my husband’s imminent deployment. When Bill left, this book was a welcome distraction from the pain of his departure and my concurrent miscarriage.

It was this book I took with me to the hospital when I had an emergency D&C while my husband stood on a tarmac waiting for the plane that would carry him overseas. One minute, I was answering the question, “Do you have anybody here with you?” with a sobbing, “No!” And the next minute I was laughing – out loud and loudly – at another description of life with lots of girls and one toddler boy. I actually had the nurses questioning me about the book, since it was obviously very amusing.

So, there you go. What better endorsement can you get than, “So funny you’ll laugh while suffering through the worst time of your life”? Or how about, “The perfect escape from life’s tribulations”? This is definitely a book to be enjoyed by any Catholic mom.

Disclaimer: apparently, bloggers are getting huge rewards for doing product reviews and government authorities are clamping down on those who do not clearly state any compensation they receive for their endorsements. Hence, those of us who do these sorts of reviews are being encouraged to be upfront in explaining any money or products we receive in exchange for such exposure. I bought both of Mrs. Lloyd’s books with my husband’s hard earned money. I did not receive any compensation in any form from any person or company for this review.