If you only know Sandi Patty through her music, then you’re in for a treat.  She hits the right notes in print as well as on the concert stage, giving us a behind-the-scenes peek into the trials and triumphs of her extensive family.

Life in the Blender tackles the sensitive subject of blended families with grace, humor, and disarming honesty.  Sandi shares both what did―and didn’t―work as she and husband Don Peslis merged her four kids and his three into one family.  (They later adopted a child together, bringing the grand total to eight children.)

An easy-to-read book on a not-so-easy subject, Life is full of true-life stories and hard-won advice.  Some of that advice comes from Sandi and Don’s kids, who collaborated on a Top-Ten list of “Rules” for parents.  They also offer tips for kids, some obviously learned through painful experience. Ex.: “Write your name on all your stuff.” “Except don’t let your parents write your name with a Sharpie on your white T-shirts.” Ouch.
 
Life also includes a hilarious recounting of the dreaded “family meeting”, ideas for making “change day” less painful, and suggestions on coping with a family that’s bigger than it was before.  As the subtitle says, it’s about Blending Families, Lives and Relationships with Grace.