Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry - Hardcover

Katrina Kenison

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0446525316 ISBN 13: 9780446525312

Publisher: Warner Books, 2000

Synopsis

Mothers are pulled in a million different directions while trying to give their kids fulfilling, productive, joyful childhoods. They mistake activity for happiness, and fill their kids heads with information when they ought to be feeding their souls instead. This is a book for mothers who yearn to find a balance in their own and their childrens lives. Through stories and suggestions, Katrina Kenison shares her insights into how to celebrate lifes quiet moments, softly reminding busy mothers to pause and remember the deep sense of well-being that comes from a listening ear, an open heart, and a quiet little space carved out of time. A former book editor, Katrina Kenison has worked with such distinguished authors as Jane Hamilton, Calvin Trillin, and Olive Ann Burns. Since 1989, Katrina Kenison has been the editor of the annual collection The Best American Short Stories (Houghton Mifflin). The 1999 edition, which she edited with John Updike, is a bestseller. Composed of short reflections that cover subjects ranging from Listening and Grace to TV and Play, mothers will want to buy this beautifully designed book for themselves and also give it to friends.

About this title

Review

In an age when "keeping up with the Joneses" refers not only to material riches but also to a whirlwind of activities, author Katrina Kenison humbly asks, "Just whose standards am I living by, anyway?" Kenison, mother of two sons and former annual editor of The Best American Short Stories anthology since 1990, understands the hectic agendas, short tempers, and full-time careers today's families endure. But she has also learned to limit the chaos. The title comes from Kenison's youngest son, Jack, cuddled up with mom one quiet afternoon as she crochets mitten strings. He holds up a long piece of yarn and proclaims, "I'm knitting a mitten string for God"--a sweet phrase, but a bit misleading. Despite a sprinkling of minor religious references, the larger focus of Kenison's beautifully written first book lies in living with care and awareness. Chapters with titles like "Grace," "Healing," "Spirit," and "Breathing" offer soothing pictures of a family life that honors patience, imagination, and Sundays without plans. Kenison weaves together personal stories and wisdom from such philosophers as Thoreau and Anne Morrow Lindbergh; the graceful resulting tapestry shows how peace and simplicity can be savored in a world hell-bent on pushing people to accomplish more, own more, and do it all as quickly as possible. --Liane Thomas

About the Author

Katrina Kenison has been the annual editor of The Best American Short Stories since 1990. Along with John Updike, she edited The Best American Short Stories of the Century, a New York Times bestseller. Also the coeditor of Mothers: Twenty Stories of Contemporary Motherhood, and a contributing editor to O, the Oprah Winfrey magazine, she has written essays that have appeared in such publications as Redbook and Ladies' Home Journal. Katrina Kenison lives outside of Boston with her husband and their two sons.

Edition details

• Publisher: Warner Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0446525316
• ISBN 13: 9780446525312
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 224