Book Review Corner: White Picket Fences

Welcome to the Book Corner! Join us as we share (over the coming months) some of the books that have been of interest to members of this committee in learning more about race and racial issues in our world. Members will share books we hope will inspire you to read and learn as we all work together to share the message of Jesus’ love for us and ALL of our neighbors. Check back to see what books we are reading!

April Book Review by Barbara Whitesides

White Picket Fences: Turning toward Love in a World Divided by Privilege

by Amy Julia Becker

If you are looking for a book to dip your toe into the conversations around race and privilege in today’s world, you might want to consider this book. This memoir is well-written and relatable as the author comes aware of the role privilege has played in her life in many varied ways. The author’s early years were spent in small town Eastern North Carolina! I found her growing awareness of race and racial issues very familiar to my own upbringing and exposure. A simple example of recognizing that the bookshelves in her children’s rooms only contained books about people that looked just like them was thought-provoking for me. Her honesty, while not shaming or guilt-inducing, helped me to see and understand places where I also was unaware of the privilege of the life I was given. In her book, I found hope and insight.

A review of the book states: "Through Amy Julia’s raw and vulnerable story-telling, I discovered not only the harm my own privilege has caused but also a God-birthed desire to actively engage in reconciliation and healing. Captivating and deeply personal, White Picket Fences is Amy Julia’s best work yet."- Jeannie Cunnion, author of Mom Set Free.