Review
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Title: Finding the Diamond Within:10 Ways Every Woman Can Sparkle
Author: Mary Anderson Stosich
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Genre: Non-fiction
Year Published: 2008
Number of Pages: 122
Binding: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-59955-085-5
Price: $12.99

Reviewed by Karen Hamilton

This is a wonderful book that encourages women to realize how beautiful and resilient they are. It is not often that the full scope of womanhood is understood or presented in such a way as to be desired. Mary Stosich is a woman who has endured the heartrending aspects of motherhood and soared to the heights that being a woman can bring into reality.

In the society that we all live in, it is hard to be balanced as a woman. There are so many demands on our time and talents. Many women are career oriented and long for family; many are moms and yearn for an outlet that is adult oriented. There is no right or wrong way to be a woman, as long as the entire scope of being a woman is embraced and not disregarded.

With this book Mary Stosich is letting every single woman know that she is of worth. There are talented women in all areas of society who contribute to the improvement and beautification of society. The one aspect to remember is to try to be balanced. This includes not placing more value on one’s accomplishments or devaluing them because they are not what we would like them to be. Being a woman is hard enough, don’t make it any harder.

Mary Stosich states that ”garbage continues to be recycled, like old cardboard, showing up in our lives with: Our wants are the only ones that matter. Equality is a matter of sameness, not of importance and value. Commitment to a relationship is not only boring, it is stifling! Children don’t need parents, only quality day care…..” (pg.15) This is but one of the many truths that are discussed. For every piece of garbage that is recycled in daily life, she comes back with more truth. “We nurture others with a positive influence. We care about others and ourselves because we are all in this together. We talk, cry, laugh, and love together. We look on others with compassion and admiration. We need the help and influence of good men, priesthood leaders and our husbands, and they need us.” (pg.16)

This book has a lot to offer and is worthy of the time it will take to read, there are places that are a bit choppy and hard to follow. If you can get past those few small sections you will find that the rest of it flows like a sweet dream. I hope that those who read it will be encouraged and uplifted by the simple ways discussed in this book to realize how valuable they are as women.