The birth of Becker’s daughter Penny was joyous, but it also set off a seesawing barrage of emotions. Becker worried that people wouldn’t see past the label of Penny’s Down syndrome, but she also feared that she wouldn’t know how to love her own daughter. She was angered by insulting comments from well-meaning friends and surprised by her own biases and prejudices. Teetering between faith and doubt, sorrow and joy, frustration and hope, Becker’s memoir of Penny’s first two years paints a true-life picture of the complexities of faithfully parenting a child with developmental challenges. Becker will be a presenter at the 2012 Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College. (Bethany House)
About the Author
Sandy Swartzentruber serves as the resource coordinator for Faith Formation Ministries and is a member of Sherman Street CRC in Grand Rapids, Mich.
