My first year as a mother was one of the most difficult years of my life.

Before I discovered I was expecting our first child, my husband and I moved over 2,000 miles away from both of our families. After coming home from the hospital I tried to jump into my role as a new mom with confidence, but loneliness, depression and isolation sapped the life out of me.

With time, God used the support of other women and a loving church to bring me to a place of hope, but I wish I’d had a book like Mothering From Scratch during those difficult months. Melinda Means and Kathy Helgemo breathe life into the soul of this weary mom with their words and let me know I am not alone.

The authors begin the book by describing their own struggles with motherhood and the solutions which didn’t work for either…