Nine Ms and a Mother Like No Other

In the memoir Nine Ms and a Mother Like No Other, Martial Bednar brings warmth, insight, and wit to this entertaining narrative about his family and their trials and triumphs as they survive a messy divorce, cross-country road trips in broken down jitneys, several siblings split into foster homes, and life-threatening medical experiences ... and in the end, still consider themselves blessed. Told with candor and humor from the "kid brother's" unique perspective, Bednar begins with a colorful description of his mother Peggy-a woman whose husband walked out after twenty years of marriage and nine children-transforming her into a desperate housewife long before it was in vogue. While Bednar shares his childhood memories like the time his mother wrapped her empty cigarette packages to put under the Christmas tree, he also introduces the nine Ms and the inspirational story of Merrick, a brother and priest-in-the-making whose profound health crisis not only strengthens his own faith, but also the fabric of his entire family. This true story-often hysterical, at times heartbreaking-gives testimony to the inseparable family bond, the incredible power of perseverance and prayer, and the life-sustaining gifts of faith, hope, and love.