One beautiful dream The rollicking tale of family chaos, personal passions, and saying yes to them both

Fulwiler's funny, heartwarming book is a welcome addition to the canon of mom writing. An introverted atheist growing up, Fulwiler converts to Catholicism and eventually has six children. She's a writer at heart, too, and this book tells the story of her efforts to pursue her dream of writing while caring well for her family and being, as she describes it, open to what God wants for her family. So much of her story will especially resonate with parents: the naps abandoned too early, the familiar guilt when you finally do take time for yourself, and lots and lots of poop. Throughout the strife, though, Fulwiler points to an amazing amount of grace that keeps showing up just when she needs it. In spite of the disasters, readers will appreciate the reminder that even when they can't have it all, they can still have some very, very good things.--Engel, Christine Copyright 2018 Booklist