Customer Reviews

The Secret Life of Becky Miller (Becky Miller, Book 1)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Christian authors are giving the literary world a run for their money, and Sharon Hinck is at the front of the pack. The Secret Life of Becky Miller, written in James Thurber's Walter Mitty-style, packs an Emeril-size BAM!

From page one, Becky Miller sneaks into your heart--she's every wife and mom who wants to do it all but discovers she's only human. Add to the mix a love for God and a strong desire to do BIG things for Him.

"I calmly and efficiently assessed the most severe trauma and tackled each crisis in order.
In my dreams."

Becky daydreams in the opening of each chapter, and those fantasies are a qui vive to her state of mind. Her journey to discovery and trust, filled with twists and detours and the help of some delicious characters, is a look inside the heart of a woman who loves God and her family.

Methinks Hinck has skirted this road herself; the insight she brings to Becky's spiritual journey brought tears to my eyes and left me gasping for air. Warning: Do not read this book late at night next to a sleeping husband. You won't be able to put it down and your laughter will awaken him.

The Secret Life of Becky Miller is a must read--a manual if you will--for every young mom, and a hilarious look back for those of us who endured those years and lived to tell about it.

Becky Miller is mom to three kids, seven and under. She is also a wife, a part-time college student and has built the women's ministries section of her church from the ground up. She has also found out she is to be one of twelve women featured in a local magazine. Nominated by her friend Sally, she was chosen because of her ability to balance career, family life, and personal growth.

Becky realizes she has six months to get her act in order to actually be the woman the magazine is looking for. Her good start doesn't last long as her life begins to splinter. Small irritations are shoved aside by major events which are buried under frightening disasters. Becky realizes her life will never be the same as it once was, but will it be one she can live with?

Sharon Hinck does an excellent job at portraying the frustrations and joys of a stay at home mom. She writes as one who has staggered through the sleepless nights, the struggled with self-esteem and contrary washers, and lived to tell about it in a relevant and funny way.

Author Sharon Hinck's debut novel is one of the best "lit" books I've ever read. Filled with moments of laugh-out-loud humor and poignant emotions that touch the soul, Ms. Hinck has done a marvelous job of portraying the life of a stay-at-home mom.

Becky Miller loves her role as wife to a wonderful man and mother to three young children, but deep down she wants to do more--to do great things for God. That desire takes her on a roller coaster quest for her own life's meaning, with plenty of twists and dips when her dreams crash in around her.

Each chapter begins with Becky's secret imaginings, followed up by the rest of the story. Honestly, the story was so engaging that there were times I almost skipped Becky's "daydreams," but found that the daydream actually set the theme of each continuing scene.

This book is a must read by women of all ages. Excellent story - can't wait for the next one!

Witty, whimsical, and yet so wonderfully down-to-earth, Sharon Hinck's The Secret Life of Becky Miller is everything you'd want in an entertaining read. It's smart, funny, and real. A convincing cast of characters is headlined by the perfectly drawn wife and mother whose secret ambitions add punch and panache to every chapter.

Who fights off ninja warriors with ease as they brandish swords and razor-sharp metal stars whiz through the air? Who bravely fights off pirate attacks? Who is that lifestyle expert that, with a flick of her talented hands, can put the super in supper? And who is it that is called "Mother" by the orphanage staff because of her undying devotion to the children and God? Why it's the incredible Becky Miller, who believes that serving God is her strength.

Becky Miller's daydreams are her coping mechanism. She alleviates the pressures of being the perfect mom, perfect wife and perfect friend by dreaming "big dreams." Her job, as she accepted it, is to support her husband when he loses his job. She will gladly nurture her diverse group of Bible Study friends, one of whom has lost a husband. Her children will be perfect and love God. And she will work tirelessly for her church only to have them discard her for someone "more" qualified.

When "real life" knocks on Becky's door, she must invite life in, turn off the fantasy channel and learn to trust God. Is she up to the task?

Sharon Hinck, author of The Secret Life of Becky Miller has written an entertaining novel for every woman who has ever attempted to be supermom. She adeptly mixes the absurd with reality and it packs a punch because Becky Miller's escapades could and does happen to all of us.

Hincks' characters are well developed, with all the human flaws we see in others and ourselves. Her storytelling ability is strong. Hincks takes the ordinary and makes it interesting. She is able to elicit strong physical and emotional reactions from the reader in response to "life." But it is her ability to balance the human reaction to events with how God wants us to respond that gives the reader much to think about.

Armchair Interviews says: The Secret Life of Becky Miller is a must read for everyone who strives to be the "I can do it all" mom. When you've finished the novel, give yourself a ticket to "I will do the best I can, with God's help" land. You'll find great satisfaction there.

The Secret Life of Becky Miller is a must-read for every mother who is still in the fray of raising her children. Or anyone who pursues a dream amid the demands of daily life.

Becky strives to be a successful wife and mother, while pursuing a lofty, elusive dream. Her lovable but imperfect family and friends are the source of both delight and frustration. Unexpected opportunities and obstacles combine forces to push her dream beyond reach. How will she ever be able to do the things she dreams of? Becky's journey reminds us that even when unexpected twists hide the light at the end of the tunnel, the light is still there, shining brightly.

The quality of Sharon Hinck's writing is top-notch. She does an excellent job of blending joy and humor into the plot without minimizing the challenges that confront us all. Her characters are utterly real and their emotions ring true. This book is a real page-turner that brings both tears and chuckles.

I rarely read Mom-Lit -- I don't fit the demographic all that well. But a friend enthused about this book and I'm glad I took a look.

The fantasy intros to the chapters are wonderful. They display wit and imagination, and I certainly identify with anyone whose mind wanders into heroic realms. I do this myself on occasion. The transitions back to "normal" life as reality rears its ugly head are a hoot! Going from a pirate scenario (for example) to a rebellious leaking washing machine while kids squabble and demand attention NOW!!! can't be described except as a laugh-out-loud moment. I had no idea that the typical homemaker could have such an active, vivid imagination. Clearly, Becky has no time for Oprah or Jerry.

"The Secret Life of Becky Miller" stands out because it shows me, a non-mom, the trials a mother can experience while raising a family, encouraging a husband, dealing with church politics, finding time for quirky friends, coping with a less-than-sympathetic-and-highly-overachieving sister, and trying to maintain an identity and her sanity. Ms. Hinck doesn't fall back on clichéd solutions. The struggles that Becky and Kevin experience are authentic and like those of many other couples.

The difference for them is that they planted their marriage, and their lives, on the foundation of Jesus Christ. We see that this doesn't guarantee sunny days and butterflies all the time, but it does assure that we don't have to lean only on ourselves, our spouses, families, or friends, but rather that there's One greater than us who will not fail us. When difficult times hit, they rely on their faith, not on self-help books or TV gurus.

"The Secret Life of Becky Miller" isn't preachy. Faith is there without leaping off the page. It's a key part of the story, but isn't rammed down the reader's throat.

There are no pat solutions in Becky's life, although there are pleasant and plausible surprises. She and Kevin have a marriage that can withstand the trials the exterior world drops on them because they're wise enough not to depend on themselves but rather on the One who guides their lives.

Highly recommended, both as a personal read and as a gift for any mom who's ever struggled with life's daily challenges.

Becky Miller is a stay at home mom with three children and a husband almost to good to be true. Like most of us Becky falls short of perfection, but in her dreams she's. . . Supermom! Becky has decided she is sure of God's plans for her life and she approves. After all what God wants and what she wants are in complete harmony. So then why is it that every time she is close to reaching her goal the door slamms in her face. Doesn't God want her to succeed? They need to get on the same page here. Then Kevin, her husband loses his job, the paid position in her church that she covets goes to someone else, and Becky's plans start to fall apart. As she struggles to make decisions, she learns an important lesson. Before we can determine God's will for us, we have to slow down, be quiet, and let Him lead.

Sharon Hinck has artfully crafted a compelling mom-lit drama with humor and reality, embracing all who've grown weary of running the perfect-mom-wife-woman marathon. Through Becky Miller's trials and triumphs, Hinck offers laugh-out-loud encouragement to harried moms today.

Becky Miller's ordinary life is extraordinary in its ability to validate and inspire at the same time. Sharon takes this "every mom" character and reminds us that our failures don't define us and our successes don't measure us...unless we allow them.

I love that Becky tackles tough issues with humor and out of this world hero fantasies. She moves from trying to do Big Things for God to learning how a Big God does great things through us. This book is a wonderful laugh out loud read that whispers important things to the heart.