Still Full of Sap: Reflections for Those Who Are Considering Growing Older is a humorous look at one woman’s growth in faith. Through a series of essays author Mary Costello leads us through her struggles with spirituality as she confronts the myriad problems facing today’s families including alcoholism, addiction, and the recovery process. Costello faces her family’s problems head-on and talks of their family struggles with unusual candor; she maintains her sparkling wit while confronting both huge crises and the day-to-day issues any parent will relate to. In a book that is reflective of the writings of Phyllis McGinley and Jean Kerr, Costello relates her struggles raising children with conventional values in very unconventional times and the difficult task of instilling in them a practical faith in a materialistic world. Still Full of Sap is serious as well as witty, wise as well as informative. Through her real life experiences Costello is able to lend encouragement, support and confidence to those who are currently raising children, or, like Costello, are getting ready to face the “grand-parenting years” and want to do it with humor and grace. Costello has a gift for finding humor in the trivial, comedy in the every day and hilarity in a world that values a system for maintaining your fingernail polish collection over feeding the homeless.