The Diary of a (Trying to be holy) Mum by Fiona Lloyd – Book Review

Written in the format of a diary, Fiona Lloyd’s ‘The Diary of a (Trying to be holy) Mum’ records the thoughts of mother Becky Hudson as she navigates through the struggles and joys of being a parent and a Christian. It’s a wonderful story of how God meets her where she’s at as she learns to trust in Him with her fears, faith and family.

She is a mother of three children – Jennifer (age 9), Adam (age 5) and Ellie (age 2) and wife to Dave who tells the best dad jokes. Although it is a fictional book, there is so much truth in it! I love how Becky prays honestly to God and wrestles with comparing herself to other mums and their children as well as other Christians. I found myself thinking that I wanted to meet Becky because she ‘gets’ it!

I felt part of Becky’s life as she went about her daily tasks of getting the groceries, never getting completely on top of the chores, heading to church and different groups, meeting with a variety of relatable characters throughout, dealing with family politics and trying to follow God in all of it. I love how honest this book is in addressing issues such as sharing faith, getting time with God and balancing all of the responsibilities that come with being a wife and mum.

This book had me laughing out loud throughout; Fiona writes as one who knows the realities of motherhood and captures the truth that many (if not all) Christians face in their daily lives. Her writing captures the reality of life in a beautifully crafted story of a normal family going through the highs and lows that we can all understand. I thoroughly recommend this book to mums, grandparents and generally anyone who needs that reassurance and understanding of ‘me too’ in their faith and family. It’s a fantastic book – go and buy a copy now!

Fiona Lloyd is vice-chair of the Association of Christian Writers and is married with three grown-up children. Her first novel, The Diary of a (trying to be holy) Mum, was published by Instant Apostle in January 2018. Fiona has also written for Woman Alive, Christian Writer and Together Magazine. She has a passion to encourage others to grow in relationship with God, and to understand that they are loved and accepted. Fiona works part-time as a music teacher and is a member of the worship-leading team at her local church.

Follow her on Twitter: @FionaJLloyd & @FionaLloyd16