Review of Single Mom Six Kids & a Piano

[Helen Akoth]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Single Mom Six Kids & a Piano" by Paul Wesley La Canfora.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Single Mom, Six Kids, & a Piano: The Early Years is a memoir by Paul Wesley La Canfora. The story follows the life of Virginia, the author's mother, as she raised her six children single-handedly after being abandoned by her husband. The story started in 1966. The author, the last born of the family, has just been born. His father decides to separate from his mother, a stay-at-home mom, forcing her to look for ways to fend for her children. As expected, life becomes tough, and most things become luxuries. But through love for her children, sheer determination, and strong faith, Virginia finds the strength to push through life, looking for opportunities to better their circumstances. In this book, the author reflects back and shares his childhood memories about his mother and siblings during those times. I immensely enjoyed reading it.

I liked how the author wrote Single Mom, Six Kids, & a Piano: The Early Years. Although this story involves his family, and he is one of those people it talks about, he gave it the third-person narrative approach. It reads like a novel and a third party's observation of what happened in their lives. This writing approach brought out a sense of objectivity and made me enjoy it more. I also liked that it was chronological, making it easy to follow. At the beginning of some chapters, the author included historical facts that happened in the US, which I found informative. I also liked to read about the various critical decisions Virginia had to make to ensure that her children were housed, clothed, and well-fed. I also found her faith in God and optimism admirable; they seemed to keep her moving. The kids' relatable life of jokes, attention-seeking sibling rivalry, and adventures were also fun to read. The ending was also done well. It leaves readers with the urge to find out more about the author's family, although it is not a cliffhanger. It also showed that there is a part two, a sequel to this. Based on how I enjoyed this, I can't wait to read it too.

My favorite aspect of this book was Virginia's approach to disciplining her children. She seemed to be in control without being controlling. Parents will find reading about how the children responded to her disciplining approach informative. I liked that it worked, and I believe it can also work for other parents. Children can be a handful sometimes, and knowing how to raise them as confident, respectful adults without having a nervous breakdown can be a great tip to add to your parenting arsenal.

Overall, I didn't find anything to dislike about this book. Errors were hard to come by. I found only a few minor ones, making me believe it was professionally edited. Therefore, I am glad to give Single Mom, Six Kids, & a Piano: The Early Years by Paul Wesley La Canfora five out of five stars. This book shows us the level of sacrifice single parents, especially mothers, can make to raise their children, and there are several life lessons to be learned from it.

I highly recommend this book to fans of memoirs full of life lessons. Single parents, especially single mothers, will have much to learn from Virginia's story and find it relatable. And lastly, there are some moments where the book captures Virginia's faith in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (Catholic faith). However, this doesn't make it more suitable to an audience of a particular religion, as it is not specifically a religious book; any reader who likes memoirs will not be affected by this. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading its sequel, Single Mom, Six Kids, & a Piano: The Later Years, to finish this remarkable journey of motherhood sacrifice.

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Single Mom Six Kids & a Piano
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[Carina Callegaro]

Honestly speaking, I'm a picky reader. Coming across the title "Single Mom, Six Kids & a piano" was rather captivating upon first glance. Yet I was skeptical originally, until I read your review. I think that it is beautifully descriptive and encourages the audience as readers to take a chance on the read. I will definitely be the one to try, thanks for your refreshing review.

[Paul Link]

I'm grateful for the constructive feedback as well, and happy to hear that the book was professionally edited. I hope that this memoir can provide inspiration for parents going through tough times, and that it can be insightful for any reader looking for memoirs with valuable life lessons. Thanks again for taking the time to read and review my book; it means a lot to me.

[Edit_or]

Stories on single moms get me emotional. Your review is great! Thank you.

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

I'm sure if I read this book, I can see a similar life of Virginia to my single mother's sister. A solo parent who wants to do everything just to give a perfect or harmonious life to their child or children. I salute all those people who have a similar life to Virginia who raised all six children, imagine? Six? All alone? How strong she was! Your review is amazing!

[Karthigesan Tharmarasu]

"Single Mom, Six Kids and a Piano" by Marie Chapian is a heartwarming and inspiring memoir about the author's journey as a single mother raising six children while pursuing a career in music. The book offers an honest and vulnerable look at the struggles and triumphs of single parenthood, as well as the challenges of balancing motherhood with artistic pursuits. Chapian's writing style is engaging and descriptive, painting vivid pictures of her experiences and the people in her life. The book is also infused with a sense of faith and spirituality, as the author credits her reliance on God for helping her through difficult times. Overall, "Single Mom, Six Kids and a Piano" is a touching and uplifting memoir that will resonate with readers who have faced similar challenges in their own lives.