Review of Mother's Gift

[Standor5865]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Mother's Gift" by John W. Cranford.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Mother's Gift by John W. Cranford is a wonderful piece that honors, introduces us to, and preserves the memory of God's precious gift to the author, his mother, Mary Evelyn Cranford. Born on January 24, 1908, and growing up in the small rural community of Dry Branch, Georgia, Mary Evelyn Cranford wasn't financially well off. She had six children, including the author, and barely received any support from their father in raising the children. Nevertheless, she was always rich in spirit; she was the accurate definition of perfection. Her gift to John W. Cranford, an old book called Daily Strengths For Daily Needs, was the only thing he received from her when she died in 1959. We are also taken through the contents of this invaluable book.

The book starts with an intriguing poem by Edgar A. Guest, which perfectly introduces us to the kind of person Mary Evelyn Cranford was, and from the beginning of the book, Mary's personality and values shine through every single page. I found her inspiring, especially with the strength she showed to raise her family with very limited resources, her selfless nature, and the love she had to give that was captured in the way she taught other children and how she made everyone feel special.

Furthermore, Mary's faith in God is well highlighted. She never hesitated to share her spiritual gifts with people, and I appreciate the author taking the time to share these gifts that were documented in the book he got from his mother. Consisting of a few short passages from the Bible and different authors, Daily Strengths For Daily Needs introduces us to Mary's values that will help shape our lives in many ways, just like it has shaped John's life, exploring themes around perseverance, kindness, being considerate, faith in God, self-control, optimism, love, and much more. I related the most to the passage in the paragraph below that perfectly summed up Mary's life.

"He will guide us in a sure path, though it may be a rough one: though shadows hang upon it, yet He will be with us.  He will bring us home at last. Through much trial it may be, and weariness, in much fear and fainting of heart, in much sadness and loneliness, in griefs that the world never knows, and under burdens that the nearest never suspect... He will bring us to His rest." - H. E. Manning (Page 56).

The author also includes several pictures that helped to bring different aspects of the story to life. At 128 pages, the book is easy to read through, but I will advise that readers take their time while reading through the Daily Strengths For Daily Needs section, as they will learn a lot from repeatedly reading and meditating on the excerpts included there.

Since I did not find any errors while reading, Mother's Gift by John W. Cranford is an exceptionally well-edited book. I cannot think of anything I dislike about this piece; therefore, I rate it four out of four stars. Readers who enjoy memoirs and self-development books will enjoy this book.

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Mother's Gift
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[Kavita Shah]

A wonderful story in honor of the Author's mother. I really like how you introduced the book. Thanks for a great review!

[Maliha Naveed]

I myself know one such mother with 6 children and reading this review feels like it's her story.

[Uzo_Reviews]

A good guide for mothers and prospective mothers. I hope they find very helpful. Great review.

[Aarti Jha]

The book seems really inspiring for someone who has to go through what the author's mother had to. A mother's love for her children can surpass any struggle and the author seems to reaffirm that through his writing. Genuinely a great review!

[Ashiraf Sserwadda]

I love this story of a selfless mother towards her kids and to everyone , un open heart , loving , caring with less she had for the fact that she never received support from the father . thanks for the review so interesting

[collinsogw555]

The mother's gift is a motivational book that helps to motivate women, and never to give up. A good review.