Review and Giveaway - Confessions of an Irritable Mother

Confessions of an Irritable Mother: Hope for Overwhelmed Moms
by Karen Hossink

Here's what the back of the book says:

Are you frustrated with mothering? Are you feeling overwhelmed and hopeless? Have you ever secretly questioned God’s wisdom in giving you children?

You’re not alone.

Karen Hossink has wrestled with her own feelings of inadequacy as a mother:
I didn’t start off mean. And certainly, being the ‘Meanest Mom in the World’ was never my goal. Yet, somehow, my son thought I was worthy of the title. To be fair, the majority of times Joshua crowned me queen of the meanies was when I was punishing him, or when I wasn’t giving him what he wanted. Nonetheless, he seemed pretty convinced I deserved the title and when you hear something often enough, you start to believe it’s true… I wanted so desperately to be a good mom - to meet their needs and do everything just right - but I sat there on the step weeping, feeling completely overwhelmed. I wondered if maybe, just this once, God may have made a mistake.


In the midst of the tears, Karen found that God is good, and even in our most dire circumstance there is hope. Karen’s warm-hearted transparency shines through in Confessions of an Irritable Mother, as she shares candidly about her own personal battle – the trials and the triumphs – on the journey toward holiness on which God has been leading her. By God’s grace, you too can come to understand He is using your children and your struggles as a mother to refine you like silver and transform you into the woman He wants you to be.

About the Author:
Karen Hossink is a wife, mother, speaker and author. She and her husband, Brian, have three children: Elizabeth, Joshua and Matthew, and they make their home in Okemos, Michigan.


Karen graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication, which was helpful, but it is an on-going education at Weary Mom University which has led to her roles as speaker and author.

When God revealed to Karen that He was using her children and her struggles as a mother to make her into the woman He wants her to be, she found hope, and in 2005 she began sharing that hope with other women as a regular speaker for moms’ groups. Since then, Karen has shared her story with hundreds of mothers across the state of Michigan and around the United States.

In 2006 Karen wrote, Confessions of an Irritable Mother: Hope for Overwhelmed Moms, in which she shares the whole story of her mothering journey and the hope she believes other moms can embrace. Finding Joy: More Confessions of an Irritable Mother, is Karen's devotional for moms which was released in 2008.

Karen loves speaking for mothers, and will continue doing that as long as the need remains. However, God has given her a desire to share His love with women of all ages. At brunches, luncheons and women's conferences, Karen is enjoying opportunities to speak for these audiences, too.

Whether you are reading her books or her blog, or listening to her speak, after spending time with Karen you will be assured of two things: You are not alone, and God is good!

You can learn more about Karen at www.irritablemother.com

Here's what I say:
Karen is a truly wonderful person, and that shows through in her writing. It feels more like she is sitting next to you chatting, and less like you are just reading her words. Her very candid confessions made me feel a lot less guilty about my deepest darkest insecurities about my parenting. I can completely relate to her feeling of being "The Meanest Mom in the World". She gives her own confessions, shares her journey guided by God and shares excellent coping techniques.
One of my favorite parts of the book is the Reflection Questions. At the end of each chapter is a list of question to help you reflect on what you just read. This would be a great book for a personal or group bible study. Karen is honest, and straight to the point with no punches pulled. She includes lots of verses to support her finding and guides you with the reflection questions. I am very glad that I requested this book from Karen. I had been following her blog Surviving Motherhood for several months, and been privileged to have a "online" friendship with her. She is a true inspiration to Christian Mothers everywhere!
Buy it! You can purchase you own copy of Confessions of an Irritable Mother for only $13!

Win it! Karen has graciously sent me an extra copy and a bookmark to give away to ONE lucky winner!
So here is how you can win:



Mandatory Entry: (open to US residents only)(you must do this one first or I will be forced to remove all of your entries)
Leave a Comment with your email address (feel free to use the antiSPAM version - yourname[at]yourserver[dot]com) telling me what your Irritated Mommy Confession - Mine is that I sometimes step out into the garage and scream into a pillow when i have reached my wit's end!
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I wish you the best of luck! All entries but be received by 11:59pm PST on March 28th, 2010 to be counted.

Disclaimer: Although I did receive a free copy of this book for review, I was in no other way compensated to post this review.


If you are an author or publisher and you would like for me to review your book, please contact me directly: polsen11[at]comcast[dot]net