Holy Hot Mess by Mary Katherine Backstrom

About the Book:

Mary Katherine Backstrom shares heartbreaking and hilarious stories of how God uses each “mess” in our lives to bring us closer to Him. She shows us that it's okay to celebrate exactly where we are right now – holy, hot mess and all.

A lot of people struggle with the concept of being holy. But the fact is, even the hottest of messes are being shaped – right now – into Jesus' likeness. In this book, Mary Katherine shares the sometimes hidden evidence of God's work in her life and shows you that it's okay to embrace the hot messes.

Mary Katherine shares both hilarious and vulnerable stories about faith, friendships, motherhood, marriage, and depression. She covers the topics that plague our hearts every day with raw, honest truth with a side of laughter. She invites you into her story as a friend, encouraging you to embrace the hot messes in your life. Because we are all a work in progress, and as long as we are alive, we are under construction – and construction sites tend to be messy.

My Review:

What a refreshing memoir. MK is honest about her life. She has a good ability to combine life lessons with humor. I like to read books that share insights from life but I rarely laugh like I did with this one. Truth telling is important, MK says. We need to share our struggles and failures to develop real connectivity and trust with others. I really liked her comments about messy church. She is realistic yet encouraging, reminding us that church stretches our ability to love. After all, the church is a place for the broken.

This is a good book for readers who want encouragement to be themselves, messes and all. MK describes herself as “unfiltered” and some may raise an eye brow or two at some of her stories. You'll laugh at her stories and benefit from her insights into spiritual life because of them. You'll learn of the potential trouble with rescuing a goat. You'll be encouraged to never give a rat as an anniversary gift. (You have to read the book.) And you'll find out you're never too messy for grace.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Mary Katherine Backstrom is an award-winning author and influencer, best known for her viral videos and candid writing on family, faith, and mental illness. She has been featured on the Today Show, CNN, and the New York Times. Her friends and family are most impressed with her one-time appearance on Ellen. MK lives in Alabama with her husband, children, two dogs, and a cat. When she isn't writing, MK is active in her church, her community, and her favorite Mexican restaurant. You can find out more and follow her blog at https://holyhotmess.com/.

Worthy Publishing, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this past was provided by the publisher.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)