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37th out of 88 books
—
4 voters
A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny
An Honest, Hopeful Look at Unexpected Challenges
Challenging surprises often lead to unexpected joy. Amy Julia opens eyes and softens hearts as she brings readers into her own story of disappointment turned to blessing. This is a journey of discovering strength through weakness, and the author learns to embrace the face that we are all dependent on God and one another. Thi...more
Challenging surprises often lead to unexpected joy. Amy Julia opens eyes and softens hearts as she brings readers into her own story of disappointment turned to blessing. This is a journey of discovering strength through weakness, and the author learns to embrace the face that we are all dependent on God and one another. Thi...more
Paperback, 237 pages
Published
September 1st 2011
by Bethany House Publishers
(first published January 1st 2011)
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A Good and Perfect Gift, A: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny by Amy Julia Becker. This book is incredibly well written! I came to love this family: the wife and mother, Amy Julia, and her husband Peter struggle honestly, full of faith.....which deepens, and loving acceptance.....which becomes joy, after the initial shock they experienced in the delivery room of the birth of their first child who "has an extra chromosome in every cell of her body"! They are so genuine as they m...more
Amy Julia Becker is one of Christian writing's best kept secrets. My friend told me I should read this book for encouragement about my own situation. I have a daughter with special needs. But this doesn't have to be the situation you're in to draw strength from Becker's story.
The author has a child with Down syndrome. She wanted to share real life as she walked through it. She wrote in a notebook and prayed through it. Her husband was amazing.
How do you walk alongside someone going through smel...more
The author has a child with Down syndrome. She wanted to share real life as she walked through it. She wrote in a notebook and prayed through it. Her husband was amazing.
How do you walk alongside someone going through smel...more
In a world that all too often tells us that selfishness is the only way to get ahead, stories of great love stand out. Today I'll be telling you about three of my recent favorite love stories: Then They Came For Me, by Maziar Bahari; A Good and Perfect Gift, by Amy Julia Becker; and Global Girlfriends: How One Mom Made it Her Business to Help Women in Poverty Worldwide, by Stacey Edgar.
None of these books is a romance novel; in fact, one is a memoir with insight into international politics, anot...more
None of these books is a romance novel; in fact, one is a memoir with insight into international politics, anot...more
When Bethany House Publishers gave me the opportunity to review A Good and Perfect Gift by Amy Julia Becker I was pretty excited. I have read other books about children with Down Syndrome, the most recent being Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth and Everyday Magic (written by a Harvard graduate).
Anyway, my reason for wanting to read this book was because, although the author does not know me, I was a member of the church where she did her internship while at Princeton Theological Sem...more
Anyway, my reason for wanting to read this book was because, although the author does not know me, I was a member of the church where she did her internship while at Princeton Theological Sem...more
When their first child is born, Amy Julia Becker and her husband find themselves unexpectedly the parents of a daughter who is diagnosed with Down syndrome. "The only word that came to mind was No," she writes of the moment of revelation. Moments later, she thinks, "I want to run away. Far away. Now."
Ms. Becker finds her worldview and her theology challenged when faced with the reality of a child whose physical and mental abilities will brand her as less than perfect in the eyes of the world. Ye...more
Ms. Becker finds her worldview and her theology challenged when faced with the reality of a child whose physical and mental abilities will brand her as less than perfect in the eyes of the world. Ye...more
90% of mothers who find out they are carrying a Down Syndrome baby abort. 90%! May God have mercy upon their souls. May God have mercy upon us as a society for devaluing life so much, for being so amazingly selfish, to think a child with Down syndrome wouldn't be "normal" or bring joy into your life.
Amy Julia Becker relates her travels down this pathway. One of the stunning facets of this story is they didn't know their baby was a Down baby until after little Penny was born. The news comes as qu...more
Amy Julia Becker relates her travels down this pathway. One of the stunning facets of this story is they didn't know their baby was a Down baby until after little Penny was born. The news comes as qu...more
Amy Julia and her husband, Peter, have the perfect life and the perfect marriage. (They may not say so, but looking from the outside, it's pretty awesome.) When their first child is born, they name her Penelope (and call her Penny) after his mom. Except they learn very quickly that Penny has Down Syndrome.
I enjoyed this book and really admire how candid Amy Julia was with her feelings. It's obvious that she loves her daughter right away, but she also has a lot of fears. Some of them are about he...more
I enjoyed this book and really admire how candid Amy Julia was with her feelings. It's obvious that she loves her daughter right away, but she also has a lot of fears. Some of them are about he...more
Amy gives an honest journey through the first few years of life with their daughter Penny who has down syndrome. Unaware prior to Penny's birth that she would have down syndrome, Amy and her husband Peter were deeply shaken by Penny's disability. What they found though was the many abilities and blessings that Penny brought to their life. Having always valued intelligence and education, it was difficult for Amy to accept Penny's limitations. Amy is frank about her fear of what the future holds f...more
I feel compelled to read almost every book by a parent with a child with Down syndrome, and this one was a quick, sweet read. The author is pretty up front about her struggle with her perspective on her daughter's intellectual ability in a way that reminded me of Martha Beck and her husband's struggle in Expecting Adam. That is, both come from an Ivy League background and take a great deal of pride in the way that they value intellect. Becker is also a seminary student, so she reflects on her st...more
I had to read this book after hearing the author talk at the Festival of Faith and Writing. It's a lovely memoir about the first few years of parenthood for Amy Julia and Peter Becker. They are a high-achieving, highly educated, religious couple. At age 29, their first child, Penny, was born. Shortly after birth she was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. The book is Amy Julia's account of coming to terms with her own perfectionism, her faith, her family's place in the world and her expectations for t...more
I heard Amy Julia Becker speak earlier this year, and was very impressed with her. Her memoir about having a daughter with Down Syndrome isn't as impressive as she herself was; the prose is workmanlike, style-free, and the insights predictable and not especially insightful ("We realized she was just our daughter. Just Penny."). Still, the journey she takes will be familiar to any parent who has to adjust their expectations for a child due to disability, and may well be useful to anyone at the be...more
An honest look at what it must REALLY feel like to find yourself on a journey you never wanted to go on and find out how you, your husband and all the people around you will deal with this unexpected turn of events. I really enjoyed this book because it felt so honest. I could often imagine I would feel the same way if this had happened to us. But once she deals with a particular emotion or thought, good ones and not so good ones, she moves on wiser and ready to deal with the next challenge. A m...more
It always amazes me when someone can articulate exactly what is in my head and heart, and there were many occasions in this book where Amy Julia Becker was able to do just that - especially in the excerpts from her journal. I will say that her struggle to come to terms with her daughter's diagnosis seemed intense and her need to find a reason for it unfounded. Still, reading this book temporarily fulfilled my need to hear someone else's story and to reassure me that we are on the right track. No...more
Interesting story. It started out good but towards the end of the book the main character gets more and more honest about her feelings towards family and friends who, from what I can tell, have the best of intentions. That was a little hard for me to swallow. The family and friends seemed to be trying to help in any way they could and the reaction they'd get from the child's mother was, more often than not, short, rude and sarcastic. I find that disappointing for some reason.
I give it 3 stars for the narrative, but 4 stars for its message. A memoir of a woman whose first child has Down syndrome and how it affected her faith. I appreciate the author's honesty about her ambivalence about her child and how, even though she was a "seasoned" Christian, she struggled with disappointment, guilt and anger toward God. This book also reminded me that every life is precious and valuable, no matter what value society places on certain attributes.
A very honest account of Amy Julie’s feelings when she is told her newborn daughter was born with Down Syndrome. I know a few women who have had DS babies, and their emotions were very similar.
There are ups and downs, scary moments and moments of pure joy! Amy Julia and her husband had very different emotional reactions, but both were 100% devoted to this little bundle of joy! We get to see Penny grow and flourish and become a delight to all who know her.
A very real and open look of the first tw...more
There are ups and downs, scary moments and moments of pure joy! Amy Julia and her husband had very different emotional reactions, but both were 100% devoted to this little bundle of joy! We get to see Penny grow and flourish and become a delight to all who know her.
A very real and open look of the first tw...more
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Glorious story of an educated woman coming to Godly terms with the birth of a daughter with Down Syndrome. The emotional and spiritual work she went through in Penny's first year as she learned what it means to love, was inspiring. Affirming and encouraging, I recommend this book to anyone dealing with a situation they did not expect, that will change their life. A great encouragement along the lines of Romans 8:28.
The mother's unconditional love for her child is very moving. Her ability to see beyond the exterior and to see Penny as the precious gift that she truly is created in the image of God Her story is heartfelt. I think we could all find much to learn in reading this account of a real family walking through a life unplanned but guided by a loving God and a wonderful heavenly Father!
A beautifully written book about one woman's spiritual journey after the birth of her daughter who happens to have Down Syndrome. Honest about her struggles, and yet gently educating those who have never had experience with individuals with Down Syndrome. She gives voice to so many of the thoughts and feelings that other parents of a child with a disability have experienced.
Personal story of a mother's journey in the first couple of years of raising a daughter with down syndrome. I enjoyed her raw emotion and willingness to expose her frustrations not only with herself but with those around her as prejudices are exposed and she learns how to cope with the changes in her life and in her heart.
It felt to me like this was a little slow getting started -- I noted a third of the way into it that we still seemed to be accompanying the author as she wrestles to make sense of how to rejoice in the birth of her daughter and grieve over her diagnosis at the same time. By the end, however, the pacing of earlier section seemed more fitting -- as though I, the reader, needed to dwell with AJ's early struggle in order to genuinely understand the place of acceptance and delight in her daughter by...more
This is a lovely book that chronicles a young woman's very real struggle with issues of perfection, among other things, when her first child is born with Down Syndrome. I read it because the author was speaking at the Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College this year, and I'm so glad I did. Highly recommended.
Having no idea what this book was about, I picked it off the library shelf in hopes of finding something that was quick and easy. Each page brought more tears to my eyes, and after reading about 30 pages - I had to just go and wash off my makeup for the day. It was heartwarming and breaking. A story of a mother who comes to accept her daughter with Down's. She is real and honest.
***$2.99 on Kindle during June 2012***
The story of how giving birth to a little girl with Down syndrome changed her mother's view of God's good gifts, as well of her view of "the good life." I was first introduced to the author through some freelance articles she wrote. Her blog regularly presents an upbeat, thoughtful, honest, God-centered view of the gift her daughter is.
I literally could not put the book down once I started, and might be up til midnight doing the chores I procrastinated so t...more
The story of how giving birth to a little girl with Down syndrome changed her mother's view of God's good gifts, as well of her view of "the good life." I was first introduced to the author through some freelance articles she wrote. Her blog regularly presents an upbeat, thoughtful, honest, God-centered view of the gift her daughter is.
I literally could not put the book down once I started, and might be up til midnight doing the chores I procrastinated so t...more
A beautifully written book in which a well-educated woman with a "perfect" life must relearn the definition of "perfect" as she comes to terms with her firstborn's diagnosis of Down syndrome. Becker gives an honest and in-depth account of how her expectations, ideals, and faith were stretched and reshaped during her daughter's first years of life. The reflections of the author are especially relevant in the driven, Ivy-league-enamored region where I am raising my children -- a reminder that indi...more
Loved, loved, loved this book! I loved the author's honesty--how she struggled with accepting her daughter's diagnosis of Down's syndrome... and ultimately her acceptance of her daughter and (herself as well) to be just who she is, herself, without labeling or comparing.
Picked this up from the new non-fiction bookshelf at the library, knowing nothing about it and was instantly captured by this mother's real and honest journey of having a baby with Down Syndrome. Every mother will glean something from this beautiful book.
If you have a child with special needs, teach children with special needs, or even just know someone with a child with special needs - you MUST read this book. Amy Julia Becker does an excellent job of giving the reader a first person view of how it feels to be the parent of a special needs child complete with the highs, the lows, and the foolish comments that people make out of ignorance. I highly recommend this book.
This is a great read about a young woman's struggle when life does not turn out as she expected. Perfect for anyone experiencing loss as Amy continues to reveal how God can being blessing into your life when you least expect it.
A religious take on things - if you're not religious you won't like this book. The author and her husband are highly educated through advanced degrees so it was interesting to read their take on the situation.
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