Jamie and I became fast friends in our early twenties before either of us had children. (Now we’re middle-aged mamas with five teens between us.) Her newest book, Introverted Mom: Your Guide to More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet Joy, is the book I wish I’d had when my guys were little and I (guiltily) longed for a few quiet moments alone. Much like Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, I stepped away from my reading proud of the way I’m wired. Being an introvert isn’t wrong or less-than, and meeting your needs as an introvert isn’t a self-centered act.

Introverted Mom is full of encouragement, candid stories from Jamie’s life, reminders of God’s steady grace, and moments of humor other introverts will understand. The book is structured around the lives of four literary introverts many book lovers will consider old friends — Jane Austen, L. M. Montgomery, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Louisa May Alcott. All chapter titles come from one of the authors’ works. I appreciated the reminder that while our lives might feel quite different from these nineteenth-century women, our needs are largely the same.

Fellow introverts in need of some space and validation — Introverted Mom reads like a heart-to-heart. Settle in with a cozy blanket and cup of tea!