The Life of a Single Mom, starts as a page-turning drama following author Jennifer Maggio’s journey from homeless teenage mother to successful corporate executive. As the tale unfolds, revealing personal tragedies of death, abuse, molestation, and poverty, Jennifer’s voice is added to the chorus of more than 13 million single mothers in the United States.
Jennifer Maggio is an award-winning author and speaker who is leaving audiences across the globe riveted with her personal story of severe abuse, homelessness, and multiple teen pregnancies. But her story does not end with the tragedy! Maggio went from living in government housing on food stamps and welfare to an 11-time Circle of Excellence Winner in Corporate America. Hers is a story of the ultimate redemption that is offered through Jesus alone.
Today, she has used that story to inspire millions. She is the founder of The Life of a Single Mom Ministries, a global nonprofit that has helped thousands of single moms in 19 countries find a home in their local churches. She is also founder of Overwhelmed: The Single Moms Magazine.
Maggio has been featured in hundreds of media venues, including The 700 Club, Focus on the Family, Daystar Television, Moody Radio, Power Women, Solo Mom, and more. She is a columnist with Single Parents Town, Bizy Moms, and Crosswalk.
My daughter shared this book with me. Wonderful that the author has walked this journey and knows what it's like and successfully has an amazing life. So many people look down on single Moms, its not an easy life. With Gods grace love, peace and hope shown along the way mountains can moved. This book gives encouragement!
I appreciate how vulnerable Jennifer is, but it feels unrealistic and for this single mom it was not helpful. I agree that Christ can really transform lives, but there's a lot of nitty gritty there and I don't feel like Maggio shared those pieces. Her story jumps for trauma to a married life making six figures. I'm really proud of her though! Being a single mom is hard and she is with her own ministry and book; she deserves all the credit in the world for her story of resilience.
I will admit that much of what I read in Jennifer’s book, Overwhelmed, I could not personally relate to. Having been raised in a loving, caring home my entire life, and never experiencing the kind of dysfunctional family life that Jennifer endured growing up, I winced when she described the abuse, and naively wondered how someone could survive such a horrific home life. And yet, survive she did. She survived living with an alcoholic father who married and discarded women whenever he grew bored with them. She survived numerous incidents of physical and sexual abuse by a variety of perpetrators. Each “stepmother” brought into the home created different problems and heartache for the little girl and constantly wanting her father’s love and approval and never receiving it, Jennifer turned to inappropriate relationships with other boys to garner that needed validation and love. As a result she suffered two miscarriages and had two children before she was twenty years old. Part One of Overwhelmed describes the life of Jennifer growing up in that kind of dysfunctional home. She describes in detail her abusive relationship with the father of her two children and learning to leave that relationship and to eventually put her faith and trust in the only One Who would be able to rescue her from the poverty and heartache of being a single unwed Mom. She would learn to trust Jesus. The second part of the book is more a “self-help” book/Bible Study for single Moms. I appreciate the non-judgmental way that she approaches this section. Her advice is practical, timely, and hopeful to any woman who is struggling with overcoming abuse, neglect and even raising children on her own. I especially appreciated the Parenting 101 chapter on how to raise children as a single parent. Great advice! Although I could not relate personally to the abusive experiences Jennifer describes in this book, I am keenly aware that there are many young women in my community who would benefit greatly from reading this book. I see that this book could be an extremely useful resource to those of us who feel called by God to counsel, minister and befriend those women. Lynn Dove - author www.shootthewounded.org
"Jennifer's is a voice that needs to be heard...." -- Dino Rizzo, author of Servolution and Turning Points
"Overwhelmed should be required reading for all of America's teenagers....." --- Donna Frank, author of The Shame Vault and Straight....From Hell
"It offers hope and clarity that will inspire with every turn of the page." ---- Carolyn Gable, radio show host and author of Everything I Know as a CEO, I Learned as a Waitress