Dear Mary: Lessons from the Mother of Jesus for the Modern Mom

In this epistolary devotional, Jakes (Lost and Found) writes earnestly and charminglyto the mother of Jesus about current mothering issues. Jakes became a mother in her teens and dealt with the stigmas of single motherhood that Jesus' mother Mary faced in biblical days. She writes about the shame she felt following her unwed pregnancy, the unsavory work she did to provide food and shelter for her son, and her second pregnancy with her daughter some years later. Readers will appreciate Jakes's candid admission that she sometimes struggles to get along with her father, well-known megachurch minister T.D. Jakes. This winsome and upbeat letter is a novel way to explore today's mothering challenges, and readers who identify with Mary's or Jakes's struggles will find it reassuring. (Sept.)