Author: Jamie C. Martin

My rating: 5 stars

By the end of the first chapter, I was in tears. While I have been aware of my introversion for my entire adult life, never before have I had it so well described by another person (or people) and also had it presented as a positive personality type. I have always felt that being introverted was something I needed to change about my personality in order to accommodate others; this author makes it clear that God created introverts for very unique purposes, and that the world would not be the same without their giftings.

While this book is specifically for introverted moms, it includes excerpts and call-outs for people in other situations, including to the extroverted partners and friends of introverts to help them better understand us. Each chapter begins with a quote from some of my personal favorite authors who also happened to be introverts: Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and L. M. Montgomery. 

At the end of every chapter are reflections from introverted moms about specific topics on family life, being social, and faith, among others. Also included are lists of self-care and personal betterment items for introverts to be able to do if they have anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours of free time. There is a daily checklist of good reminders for introverts that I have already added to my Notes app on my phone, good ideas like creating a basket for on-the-go moments of quiet even for busy moms, and most importantly, Bible verses to feed our souls.

A few of my favorite quotes:

“God’s grace + my weakness = ENOUGH”

“All introverted women need a space, even if it is just a small corner, to call their own.”

“Being introverted means processing internally and alone, where my thoughts aren’t distracted by people or events. Don’t ask me a question and expect an immediate answer. I need to process away from everyone and everything. And when there’s a lot going on and a lot to process, I have to get away from it all to settle my brain.” – Melea, California

“Run your own race — this minute, this second. Be you unapologetically. Only do what’s yours to do, and watch how you, your family, and even the world are changed because of it.”

“Warmth and tenderness of heart, with an affectionate, open manner, will beat all the clearness of head in the world…” – Jane Austen, Emma

“We introverted moms stretch ourselves every day, because normal life as mothers pushes us outside our comfort zones regularly! And all that stretching gives us a fine-tuned self-awareness of the times when we need to move beyond what comes naturally, for our own good or someone else’s.”

“As introverted women, we often find ourselves drawn to deep ideas and thoughts, which means we often find ourselves drawn to books.”

“As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder, Writings to Young Women on Wisdom and Virtue