“Go deeper into the origin of how Well Read Mom began or you risk becoming possessive of what is being given.” Fr. Jose' advised me when I asked him if we should consider changing the name to Well Read Woman.

A bit shocked by his response something rang true. Even though WRM is for all women with the goal of accompanying each other in reading worthy books from the Western and Catholic tradition, its origin came from my daughter Beth and daughter-in-law Steph who were new moms at the time. Beth called one day with a cry, “Mom, I’m not going back to that mother’s group. All they talk about is their kids and what kind of diaper to buy. Isn’t there a place after college where women get together and look at the real questions of life?”

It was at this time I was saddened by my own struggle to consistently read quality literature. Left to myself it is easy not to read well or even not to read at all. So with Beth’s appeal my own desire merged with hers and Well Read Mom began.

Now in our 4th year, I’m constantly surprised at the way women-including myself-are reading great books, growing in friendships, and looking at how the questions awakened in us through literature help us look at the questions in the drama of our own story.

At the Fourth Well Read Mom Conference, held Jan. 30th at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, the focus was on experience. Many women reading with us are coming to understand that great literature stirs up the questions that are often buried deep in our hearts. Personally I am coming to understand that these stirred up questions coming forth can begin a kind of dialogue with Christ. A kind of asking that my own daily drama of circumstances be lived in a continual conversation with Another.

Marcie, Minnesota, USA