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    Mumma, Can You Hear Me?
    Mumma, Can You Hear Me?
    Mumma, Can You Hear Me?
    Ebook220 pages3 hours

    Mumma, Can You Hear Me?

    By Betty Williams

    3/5

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    About this ebook

    Betty Williams discovered her life’s calling while living in an orphanage—she was born to teach, protect, and encourage children wherever she may be. This became an all-consuming passion that lead her from Maine to the jungles of Brazil and far beyond.

    The witchdoctor’s chanting and dancing stopped as we came through the door. He nodded and stepped back. Bob gently picked the child up, washed her face with a damp cloth, and declared that only God had power over death—and that wherever there is life, there is hope. (page 96)

    This fascinating autobiography introduces a woman who was born into poverty in Auburn, Maine, and who followed her faith—and her teenage husband—into mission work in Brazil. Though often sorely tested, Betty’s faith remained strong through a fascinating life spent helping children in creative ways. She delivered babies as a missionary in Brazil, taught children in Philadelphia and Alaska, and opened her homes in many places to the foster children, students, and many others who needed her. After divorcing her husband, Betty adopted three children and began a second family— one that welcomed a rotating cast of foster siblings even as she developed a later-life career teaching in Maine’s schools. Blessed with many children and more than eighty years of fond memories, Betty tells her stories with wisdom, compassion...and good humor.

    LanguageEnglish
    Publisherf/64 Publishing
    Release dateSep 18, 2012
    ISBN9781301817993
    Mumma, Can You Hear Me?
    Author

    Betty Williams

    Born in Auburn Maine on July 21, 1927, Betty Elaine Williams was raised by a single mom during the Great Depression. She married in her 20’s and joined her husband in missionary service in Brazil for twenty years. Always capable of teaching those around her, she developed that gift into a thriving professional life. She taught thousands of students both young and old, in Brazil and across America. Her family changed with her divorce, then grew again when she adopted three more children as a later-life, single mother with a teaching career. Betty once again resides in Auburn, Maine. Thanks to her youngest daughter, she texts on her cellular phone, has a Facebook account, and still loves a good game of Scrabble.

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    Reviews for Mumma, Can You Hear Me?

    3/5

    28 ratings14 reviews

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    • 3/5
      A poignant story written with passion but the poems were a distraction to my enjoyment of the book
    • 3/5
      Reading this autobiography of a dedicated Christian woman felt like sitting in my grandmother's living room and listening to her tell stories of her life. Not that my grandmother would have stories like these! Betty Williams grew up during the Depression, served as a long-suffering missionary's wife in Brazil, and raised a number of biological, adopted, and foster children, all while facing the sorts of challenges and set-backs that might have caused someone else to lose their faith. The homespun, somewhat rambling style of the book made it feel like reading a long letter from an elderly relative. Many times I would have liked additional information about certain events that the author preferred to gloss over, particularly in regard to her relationship with her daughters later in her life when she started her second family.The hardest part of the book for me was how the author's faith never seemed shaken regardless of the number of disappointments and tragedies she faced. In fact, she continued to see the benevolent hand of God in her life even when people close to her died and she was personally betrayed. This was difficult for me to understand. It was sometimes frustrating that the author continued to be devoted to a spiritual community that seemed full of hypocrisy. She certainly possessed a powerful fortitude to be able to keep teaching, serving, and living life to the fullest despite the rough path of her life.
    • 3/5
      This book was a pleasant look at the life of Betty Williams and her life long service to human kind. She served others as a daughter, wife, mother, missionary, foster parent, and teacher. She has included a collection of her memories and shared them. As an auto-biography this is an interesting piece, however, if you only read fiction you may find the writing style a bit frustrating and a better help with editing could have helped in this aspect. There are a great number of amazing stories of miracles that Betty was blessed to witness and experience and I'm grateful she took the time to share her lifes stories with all of us.
    • 3/5
      This is a story of a life full of adventure, sorrows, hardship as well as great love. Betty Williams, raised in poverty In Maine, goes on to marry a missionary and spend a great deal of time amidst the native peoples of the Amazon in Brazil. She supports her husband In his endeavors as well as raises two children in the very real jungle. They eventually return home, her husband leaves her and she goes on to raise more adopted children and be a teacher.Although I personally read with great distaste the stories of how the missionaries thought of and treated the people they were attempting to convert (calling them, for instance, savages), I did have to give Mrs. Williams a lot of respect for her perseverance in the midst of very trying circumstances.The book is written as a series of remembrances directed toward the author's deceased mother, which made it somewhat poignant, although sometimes a bit maudlin. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the struggles and victories of a very strong woman in the rather limiting society of mid 20th century America.
    • 3/5
      I was really excited when I got my hands on a copy of 'Mumma, Can You Hear Me?'. I had pretty high expectations of the book after reading a few highly appraised reviews. I won't say I was necessarily disappointed after reading it, but it certainly isn't my favorite book. I found it very charming, but I will admit that I struggled to get through parts of it. It's perfect for a light little read to boost your spirits, but it's probably not a book I'd excitedly recommend to people. All in all, I'd say the book was just ok. Not great, not bad, just ok.
    • 3/5
      A series of memoirs from the life of Ms. Williams. It took me a few stories before I started to enjoy this booked. The poems and references to God distracted me, especially at the beginning but throughout the book.A little disjointed at times, but these short stories come together to form the outline of Ms. Williams's interesting life. Overall a decent book.
    • 3/5
      I think Ms. Williams had an interesting life full of lots of colorful stories. But this memoir doesn't do justice to those stories. It is rambling, and there isn't a theme or overarching message - just a compilation of anecdotes linked by a loose chronology of Ms. Williams' life. I wanted to like this book, but the reading experience wasn't that enjoyable.
    • 3/5
      I usually enjoy books in this genre, which relate the story of people's lives. I am not a huge fan of poetry within books and find that it distracts from the book for me personally, however I enjoyed the book to a degree. It is obvious that both Betty Williams' mother and God have had a large influence on her life. While I don't agree with some of Bettys opinions and parenting techniques, it was very interesting to read about her life and where it has taken her.
    • 3/5
      The book wasn't bad, very sentimentally written and written from the perspective of a child, in a unique way. I enjoyed reading about the incredible drive of the mother in providing for her kids, and the lonliness of the children when having to live apart from her at times while she struggled to survive. A little too detailed in some places, I wasn't able to read every word, but overall had me interested.
    • 5/5
      'Mumma Can You Hear Me?' is a conversation of the author, Betty Williams, with her mother, looking back over her life.She recalls her time in a children's home, being taken away by her father, her mother and new husband coming to rescue them, and coming to know Jesus as her Saviour. Then Betty leaves home to marry Bob, setting out to be missionaries. Soon after her beloved mother dies. What unfolds is an enchanting story of missionary life - often with little or no money. Then as Betty returns to America, her teaching life and the pupils she helped, along with more children who came to live in her family.It is clear, that during all her life, what a profound effect her mother has on Betty's life. She is the one that makes everything alright, and the one to whom she turns to tell her tale.This book is honest, sharing both the humour and traumas of reality.I love the "complaining loudly to God". Something we should probably all do more of - it shows we care. And equally the quiet voice of the molding God.What a remarkable woman Betty Williams is!
    • 3/5
      An interesting read. An example of how tough a life can be, and how we can overcome, adapt, or get used to a huge variety of lifes ups and downs and still find fun, laughter and hope in our lives. This book includes poetry and also lots of photos and would particulary appeal to people who believe in God.
    • 5/5
      As the publisher overseeing this book, the manuscript grabbed me across age, gender, and geographic boundaries, and held my interest through an all-too-short afternoon of reading it straight through. That's exceedingly rare for me, and spoke highly of the content. Now on the far side of editing, I believe the author and our team worked together to make the content even stronger and more compelling, and a very pleasant investment of your time. Take a read if you like uplifting stories that are subtle about their work; if you like true stories of ordinary people with admirable reserves of character, courage, and determination to improve their lives and those of the people around them; if you enjoy laughing along with a deft storyteller at life's stranger challenges and surprising triumphs; if you have an afternoon to give a book that will amply reward your interest. And when you're done, pass it along to a friend or family member--help spread the word, and spread Betty Williams' writing, however you're able.
    • 3/5
      In Williams’ story, she tells an inspirational story of one woman’s missionary work and her undying love for children. It was uplifting, a true survival story of a missionary, teacher, midwife, and mother.It is well written and inspirational.
    • 2/5
      Betty Williams, now in her eighties, has spent her life as a teacher: to her children, and to her students.Written, at least at the beginning of the book, in the form of a letter to her mother (hence, the title) this memoir follows the author from her childhood to the present day, although not always in a straight line. The memories tend to meander and are maddeningly vague in many areas to which she makes allusions.Ms Williams has had a rich and busy life. Unfortunately, the story is not well-told. Sorry, Betty.Read this if: you are related to Betty or know her well; or if you are really keen on knowing about South American missionary work. 1½ stars

    Book preview

    Mumma, Can You Hear Me? - Betty Williams

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