I’ll be honest. I’m not always the biggest fan of NFP (Natural Family Planning). Don’t get me wrong – I’m not a fan of contraception either. It’s just that NFP is kind of like a computer. Sometimes it’s exactly what you need and your life is so much better for it, and sometimes it just kind of sucks.

An Exciting Find

So I was pretty excited when I read the blurb of ‘The Sinner’s Guide to Natural Family Planning’ by Simcha Fisher which amongst other things promises to ‘show what it’s really like to practice NFP’ and helps those who are asking…

“If NFP is so wonderful, why am I so miserable?”

Written with a witty sense of humour this book pretty much delivers what it promises: insight into real life NFP, practical ways NFP relates to your spiritual life, and pointers on how to get the most out of NFP. You’ll find questions answered that you didn’t know where to ask or were just too scared to ask at all.

Where the experience comes from

My only criticism would be that it’s a bit on the short side (only 127 pages). Yes, it’s a quick and easy read but sometimes it would be great to go into some of the issues a little deeper. However, keeping in mind Simcha is largely drawing from her own experience and of those she’s encountered, perhaps this is a task for someone with access to wider collective experiences, like a marriage counsellor. Any takers?

Reasons to read

NFP is not the magical solution to all your fertility questions. Like Simcha says ‘it’s the worst possible method, except for all the others’. So check out this book if:

• like so many out there you have realised that contraception really, really sucks and have decided to give NFP a go
• you are using NFP and have the overwhelming urge to burn your chart
• you are using NFP and want to get the most out of it for your self and your marriage
• you want to know more about fertility and God’s plan for you life
• you’re grappling with the question of ‘how to be open to life’ and ‘what is a serious reason to postpone pregnancy’ (unless your hoping for a checklist because that you will not find here).

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. On top of it’s usefulness, I was literally laughing out loud a number of times through the book.

If there are any books you would like to see reviewed here please comment below or send me an email or Facebook message.

Question: I’d also love to hear your experience of NFP. Hate it? Love it? Found a way to make it less of a pain? You can comment by clicking here.