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Book Review: "A Good and Perfect Gift"
When I began reading Amy Julia Trusdell's book, "A Good and Perfect Gift," I was in a rush. I promised Amy Julia I would review the book but I was slammed. So I began skimming, picking up the high points, expecting to it read like most other spiritual memoirs that I've reviewed in the past few years.
Amy Julia has written a book about finding out, suddenly and inexplicably, that her first born daughter had Downs' Syndrome. The book chronicles Amy Julia's experiences of grieving and being broken while discovering the very beautiful gift of her daughter. As I skimmed through the book, words like this, when she found out that her daughter Penny might not be able to hear, caught in my head and tugged at my heart:
"My demeanor didn't change, even though inside I was shouting, Have you noticed that this is my child we are talking about? I stood up, and Penny opned her eyes. I kissed her on the forehead. Do you know what it feels like to sing to your baby and wonder if she can hear you?"
This is a book about struggle, about identity, and about the deep theological questions of pain and suffering. Amy Julia does an extraordinary job of staring honestly into her own brokenness and providing her readers with a beacon of insight and hope into understanding that God's gifts are often unexpected and abundant.
And the winner of the book is....Denise Younker! Look for your prize pack in the mail! Go you!!
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