With Mother's Day so close, the only possible theme for this post is 'Mom'! :-)

I picked up The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less, by Terry Ryan intending to just give it a quick skim so I could include it in this post, and ended up reading the entire book all over again. This is an amazing story of a woman who helped support her family by entering and winning contests. In the late '40's and early '50's there was more to entering these contests than just submitting your name, you had to complete a jingle to create an ad, or write (in 25 words or less) why you liked a product. Terry Ryan's mother had a flare for this and it was a good thing she did. At that time few woman took on a job outside the house (and with 10 kids, how could she?). Her husband was an alcoholic who could be abusive and his paycheck was not a dependable source of income. Evelyn Ryan kept the family going by winning money, food and appliances. This is a wonderful biography of an amazing woman.

It's 1952, Ireland, and an unwed mother has been sent to a convent to deliver her baby. Soon after, the baby, like all the others, was sold to America, the mothers never knowing what happened to their children. Fifty years later one mother goes looking for her son and Philomena: a Mother, Her Son, and a Fifty-year Search, by Martin Sixsmith is that story. It's now a movie and I spent some time trying to imagine what it was like to learn that not only was 'your' story going to be made into a film, but that you would be played by Dame Judi Dench! I've not seen the movie, but the book is excellent.

A Ride on Mother's Back: a Day of Baby Carrying Around the World, by Emery & Durga Bernhard. (The title is a bit of a misnomer as there are fathers, grandparents and even siblings carrying the baby, too). ;-) From dawn to dusk, and around the world babies are snugged to a family member so they are safe, but the adult can work with both hands. A delightful introduction to other cultures, and there is more detailed information about each of the countries included at the back of the book.

Leslie Meier's 15th Lucy Stone mystery is Mother's Day Murder. Lucy is looking forward to a quiet (and fancy) Mother's Day brunch, but it is not to be. An argument between enemies and rivals breaks out that spoils the event ... and then a body is discovered. As the investigation goes on Lucy deals with all sorts of 'mom stuff' as well. A nice cozy series.

And, of course, from the February 11, 2014 post: A Mother's Promise, written by Lisa Humphrey and illustrated by David Danioth. As I said then, and will say again, it's a quiet gem of a book.

Reading Hermit with Dog