I didn’t quite get around to completing all of my February books. As a matter of fact, I may be reading them until April. I’m okay with that, because I have learned so much about so many different subjects and myself as I’ve read these books.


Half the Mother, Twice the Love chronicles Mother Love’s journey of transformation (she lost over 100 pounds). The story starts in her early childhood where she was brought up in a family where food was celebrated, sometimes a bit too much. This was something I could really identify with having two parents from South Louisiana, home of gumbo, jambalaya, andouille sausage, boudin, and plenty of other dishes full of pork fat and butter.

She gives a glimpse into the struggles with diabetes of her mother, baby sister, oldest sister and eventually herself. I really appreciated the honest look (though I’m sure it wasnt pleasant) at the sometimes lax attitudes in the African American community, i.e. a little sugar (how do you have a little diabetes?).

When Mother Love shows interest in weight loss surgery to ease her symptoms, she is met with everything from fear of complications (from her husband) to outright hostility and denial of her symptoms (from friends). She ultimately decides to go through with the surgery and her weight loss definitely separates the wheat from the chaff in her relationships with family and friends alike. She meets all of the opposition with the humor and positivity that most people associate with Mother Love.

I think this book can strike a chord within anyone who has met with resistance on the path to self improvement. I really liked the facts about obesity and diabetes interspersed throughout the book. I think I’ll be adding this book to Hill Harper’s in my gift pile.