No one shapes our heritage or affects our legacy like our mother.
Most people know Leonard Sweet, one of the world’s most influential evangelicals, as a sharp cultural critic who helps us see how to get in front of the future rather than be bowled over by it. One of his greatest influences was his mother, a groundbreaking (and sometimes controversial) minister who defied convention while honoring tradition. In this exceptionally personal work, Len Sweet opens his mother’s memory box, and in the process he helps us all embrace the future with confidence while tethering us to a faith that transcends time. Through Len’s experience, we all will better understand and process how our own heritage affects our legacy.

An ideal resource for mothers, adult children, and families seeking resources to set up their kids to flourish.

Table of Contents
1. Ma’s Wedding Ring, Dad’s Hellevision
2. The Yellow-Painted Pot-Metal Boudoir Light
3. Rocks
4. The Dreaded Four-Way
5. The Family Bible at Family Prayer
6. Upright Piano and Soundtrack for the Soul
7. Polio Braces
8. Yellow Cheese
9. Sweet’s Liniment
10. Lye Soap
11. Mounds, Mars Bars, and the County Home
12. The Mystery Bag and the Curiosity Cabinet
13. Extra Plate at the Table
14. Dad’s Rolltop Desk and His Secret Compartment
15. Gramma’s Green Porcelain Wood Stove
16. The Doctor’s Script
17. Nautical Door
18. Grandfather’s Chair
19. Glover’s Mange Cure
20. Potlucks
21. Chocolate Éclairs
22. The Wringer
23. Matchboxes and Sawdust
24. Lumps in the Mattress

Endorsements
"Len Sweet knows the power of the phrase, “Once upon a
time . . .” When people hear these words they awake from their
slumber, come to the edge of their seats, tuck the palms of their
hands under their chins, and listen. This book did that for me.
I was drawn into the wonderful, unique story of Len’s mother
and family without the expectation of there being anything in
it for me. Boy was I wrong."
---RANDY FRAZEE
Author of The Heart of the Story

"Leonard Sweet has long been one of my favorite people, and
now I know why. Mabel Boggs Sweet. Mother Tongue, a spoken
portrait of his mother—a woman of simple faith met with
the strength, resiliency, and closeness to nature her mountain
upbringing provided—is beautifully written, resounding with
love and gratitude."
---LISA SAMSON
Novelist and artist

"If anyone ever wondered about the sacred and sacrificial art
of Christian mothering joined with the divine calling to put
Christ first in all things, meet Mabel Boggs Sweet. The stark
stories of her life as a mother, shunned and poor, are contrasts
to her extraordinary ability to live her life all for Christ.
Thank you, Len Sweet, for telling us about your mother. She
surely did cast a long shadow, and now we can sit in it, be
encouraged, and learn."
---MARYKATE MORSE
Professor of leadership and spiritual formation,
George Fox Evangelical Seminary