sinners-guide-simca-w250I’ve been following Simcha Fisher on and off for a few years. Without fail, she always gets me laughing, whether she’s writing newsy stuff or cracking me up on her personal blog.

In the midst of my laughing, though, Fisher also gets me thinking; usually in a way that’s long and hard and ongoing.

She inspires me, that’s for sure. I don’t know many other people (in fact, I can’t think of any) who can get me snorting a hot drink even as I start to reshape a long-held opinion I’ve had. It’s a gift. (And for my nose, maybe a curse.)

So when I heard that Simcha had a book coming out, I had an immediate response: that of demanding asking for a review copy. (It wasn’t released yet.)

She sent it and I whipped through it, nearly ruining my poor device with all the snot that flew its way as I unceremoniously laughed and snorted and guffawed.

Not even Lino Rulli had me laughing this hard.

So let’s talk about the book, shall we?

For one thing, title’s catchy: The Sinner’s Guide to Natural Family Planning. It’s only available as an e-book right now (and in the spring, it will be IN PRINT!).

For another thing, it’s Simcha. Pure and unadulterated. See above.

What I loved:

1. Fisher’s no-nonsense approach to a topic that so many people tiptoe around. She’s honest, which means there’s a lot to laugh about, some things to cry about, and everything to relate with.

2. The range of material in this book. The book won’t teach you Natural Family Planning, but it will crack open that “you’ll get along better” line of reasoning that so often feels a bit mythical and theoretical in practice. This is a book as much about relationships as it is about marriage and sex. Oh wait, those are all sort of the same thing, aren’t they?

3. The laughing I did. Because, well, this IS a topic important enough to laugh about. Would that we all realize that more…and see the truth that lies beneath our howling and guffawing.

Who this book is for:

  • Married couples
  • Engaged couples
  • People who wonder what the heck the big deal with NFP is

Why you should read it:

Because, presumably, you’ve gotten this far in my post. And, last I checked, it’s already a top-ranking book with 112 reviews (at the time of this posting) and a FIVE-STAR average.


Sarah Reinhard is a Catholic wife, mom and author whose nose is probably in a book if she’s not scraping something off of her shoes. Her latest book is A Catholic Mother’s Companion to Pregnancy: Walking with Mary from Conception to Baptism. Check out all of her books at http://sarahreinhard.com/writing/my-books/.

Visit Sarah’s website: http://sarahreinhard.com/


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