My wife Nancy recently wrote a book entitled Why Isn’t a Pretty Girl Like You Married? The subitle goes “And Other Useful Comments,” indicating that the title does not directly reflect the views of the board, management, or staff of Canon Press.
The danger of a book title like this is that a girl picking it up is declaring to the cashier that she thinks she has a problem, or that she thinks she’s pretty, or something. The only critical feedback we have gotten on the book has been from young women who didn’t want to read it — assuming it to be something quite different from what it actually is. But then, when they have read it, they have found it very useful, unlike the comment in the title.
But some positive feedback we have gotten, from an unexpected quarter, is from fathers of unmarried daughters. As a pastor, I know that this is one of the biggest practical problems that many pastors have — a dearth of eligible young men, and multitude of young women who would love to be married. As a practical first step, one of the best things that could happen is for fathers of such young women to get this book — not to give it to their daughters, but to read it themselves. And pastors who are giving counsel to families in such circumstances would do well to pick up a copy as well.