Well Read Mom

"You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. 

Just get people to stop reading them."

-Ray Bradbury

60 million American adults reported not reading a book during the past year! 

This is where the gift of Well-Read Mom comes in. We help each other sustain the critical ability to read deeply, and it affects our lives in beautiful ways.

In Well-Read Mom, women read more and read well. We hope to deepen the awareness of meaning hidden in each woman's daily life, elevate the cultural conversation, and revitalize reading literature from books.

We believe by first bringing women into small groups where they feel supported, they experience more joy in their marriage, jobs, families, and have greater self-confidence, and grow closer in their faith with God. Therefore, Well-Read Mom women are equipped to face the cultural challenges of this world.  

By financially supporting Well-Read Mom, you are helping us to bring this experience to women across the country, which will create a lasting cultural impact. When women read, families read, and when families read they grow in empathy, cultural awareness, and understanding. 

In the spring of 2012, I spoke to different mother's groups with a talk entitled "Well-Read Mom". For most of the mothers I talked to, personal reading was a luxury they had sacrificed in the name of family. In fact, not one woman in any of those groups was reading quality literature for her own enjoyment and growth.

Many of them weren't happy about it. Some felt embarrassed, others felt guilty. Most just accepted it as normal.

When I asked the women why they weren't reading, hands crept up hesitantly. One by one, they explained, lamented, and justified why reading was impossible, given the demands of daily life. "I don't have time" of course, was the main reason these women weren't reading. But I also heard comments like:

• "I can sometimes read a self-help book or spiritual bestseller because I can justify that. But at this time in my life, reading literature feels selfish."
• "I was never a good reader in high school."
• "I'd like to read, but I wouldn't have a clue where to start."
• "My family watches TV at night because that is something we can do together."
• "In my family, we're all on our own devices, even during dinner. We fill our plates in the kitchen and then go to our own rooms to eat in front of our TV's and phones." This comment was shared by a woman with tears in her eyes.

The mission of Well-Read Mom is to help women read more, and read well. We know there are millions of American women who didn't pick up a book last year, but we strive to reach them and help them build and enjoy a reading practice.

We can't carry out this mission without the help of our generous supporters and advocates. With your help, we can reach more women who need help building a reading practice and making this positive change in their lives.

~ Marcie