The Person I Marry

I was not one of those little girls who had planned out the details of my wedding by the time I was 13...or even one who pictured who I was going to marry....although Rick Springfield, unbeknownst to him, was very high on my list of potential grooms!

I just sort of bounced around (not in a slutty way) in the area of boys to whomever would like me....even if I didn't like them all that much.  I just wanted to be liked so badly. 

I wanted to be part of a couple. 

I wanted to have someone to kiss by the buses.  I wanted to have someone put their arm around me and put their hand in the back pocket of my RD Simpson jeans.

I wanted to be able to slow dance to Purple Rain (Prince) or I Wanna Know What Love Is (Foreigner) instead of pretending that I had to use the ladies room so I wouldn't be embarrassed that I hadn't been asked to dance.

I spent a lot of time thinking about boys and why boys didn't like me.

In retrospect, I wish I would have thought about myself more.

Not in a self centered "it is all about me" way....but in a way that let me think about the way God created me....and, what things would be important to me in a life mate (someone to date) and what kind of person I deserved to be with.

I wish that this book had been written for that teenage me.  It would have saved me....and my mom....a lot of heartache and pain over just going along with whomever had chosen me at that moment....whether they were a good fit for me, or not.

See the subtitle? 

Things I'll Think About Before (and After) Saying, I Do!

This is one of those books, that you want to cuddle up in bed and read with your kids....even if they happen to be 13 year old boys!

This is one of those books, that I could have used in my early 20's, before I took a leap without first taking a good look.

This is one of those books, that I could find a line or a phrase from every single page to quote.

This is one of those books, that I could just pour over the illustrations in awe of the artists' skill.

This is one of those books, that I could just buy a bunch of and give as gifts, for every birth, every graduation, and even every wedding.

This book was written and illustrated by a husband and wife team, Gary and Jan Bower.  They have been married for 33 years and have 12 kids and something like 9 or 10 grandkids.  Go read more about the Bowers, their family and other things available through their website, at Bower Family Books.

Here is a little video preview of The Person I Marry that will give you a flavor of the words, the art, and a little background from the Bowers on why they wrote this book.

Go ahead, take a look.  I will wait.


Welcome back.  So? What did you think?

I don't know if you could tell or not, but I LOVED this book.  We got to see an e-book version and even though we all had to gather around the computer monitor to read it, I loved it.  And, that is saying something.

I really hate reading books or even magazines on a computer screen.  I am not a Kindle kind of girl.  I like to hold books, feel books, get sore wrists from holding up the heavy ones, and get that weird kink in my neck from reading books in bed. 

So, the fact that I feel this strongly about a book that I haven't even held in my hot little hands, really means something!

I will be getting a few "real" versions of this book to hold, to flip through with the kids, to snuggle up in bed and read again and again.... for me, for the kids, and, for gifts. 

To me, it is one of those books that needs to join the other classics in our house, like Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown;  Love You Forever, by Robert Munsch; and Oh, The Places You'll Go, by Dr. Suess.

This book is part of their Bright Future Series and can be purchased through the Bower Family Books website here, for $11.49 or you can get the whole 4 book Bright Future Series for $39.96.  The other titles in this series are:  There's a Party in Heaven; The Jingle in My Pocket; and What Do Heroes Wear?

See what other TOS crew members thought of The Person I Marry.


We received a free e-book version of The Person I Marry, in exchange for an honest review of the book.