I'd recommend this book to anyone. It won't give you any to-do lists to change the world, but it will make you think about your place in the world, how your experiences (whether full of privilege or not) shape how you see the world and offers a way to see and experience the world in light of this knowledge.

Good starting point for having a conversation about race and privilege.

I loved this book. I deeply appreciate the way that Becker examines the harm that privilege (able-bodied and/or white) does both to those that don’t have it and those who do. This is a faith-based, personal, and vulnerable exploration. The hope of healing these divides come from her Christian faith - honoring our common humanity and loving one another.

I will be honest: I did not enjoy this book until Chapter 6, which spoke to me on a number of personal levels. Becker's book was not what I was expecting, and it took a few chapters for me to settle in and to appreciate the book for what it was: it is more memoir than sociology, more personal reflection than academic report. Once that sunk in, I was able to appreciate and enjoy the book more, including the first five chapters retroactively. Becker's incredibly gentle tone and constant personal stories and references make this an excellent book for anyone beginning the awkward journey of examining their privilege. I also appreciated how the privilege she examines is multifaceted, going beyond race or ethnicity to touch on able-bodied and socioeconomic privilege as well.

I read an ARC of this book, and it was fabulous. Honest, thoughtful, challenging: I appreciate the author's voice and her willingness to share her own grappling with white privilege in ways that push me and also give me hope. Will be writing a full review for Evangelicals for Social Action.

White Picket Fences by Amy Julia Becker is first and foremost a book about repentance. It is also a book about privilege. When we think about privilege, often our first reaction is to balk because we don't see our privilege, whether it be the privilege of being white, the privilege of being a man, the privilege of knowing that we are straight or that we are cisgender. White Picket Fences deals mostly with the concept of white privilege, and it starts with children's books.

Everyone should read White Picket Fences.

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for sending me a finished copy of White Picket Fences in exchange for an honest review. 

As a whole, I am very torn about this book. The author makes a lot of good points and it would be wrong of me to say that you wouldn't be able to learn anything from it. But there are also a lot of things in this book that I disagree with.

Another disclaimer for those of you know about the wave of social justice within the Evangelistic church, this book has nothing to do with it. This book is written from and for the world and privilege in the world and not social justice within the church, which are two very different topics.

This book is written by a Christian author and talks about God's love and privilege, but sin is only mentioned a few times. This is a major issue with this book because of our sin nature, and human depravity we are sinners.

On the other hand, there were definitely kernels of truth within this book. 

The following is a quote from the book that I fully stand behind: 

"All of life is fragile and uncertain. All of life is beautiful and valuable. All of life is a gift."

Tomorrow is not guaranteed and everything we have is from God. 

"Human beings, as God's "image bearers," are created to receive and reflect God's love."

Quotes like these are definitely reasons why you should read this book. There is a lot of truth to what the author is saying here, and that is exactly why even though I don't agree with everything she says, God can still use it to change lives, or make you think about something in a different way. 

I am going to be frank, I don't understand everything about privilege and I'm not sure I ever will. But what I do know is that we have a mighty God, and I trust in Him. 

I enjoyed that this book was written from a Christian perspective and that it is thought-provoking.  

I expected this to be making a strong argument, but it's more of a beautifully written memoir. Rather than setting out to convince you of a new reality, she shares her story humbly, which has it's own power next to theologian treatises and academic exposés. Not ground breaking, but a breath of fresh air that holds the weight of the gospel alongside the weight of deeply entrenched sin.

An honest read that bring up important issues. This is not, by any means, a fully comprehensive perspective of privilege. I did find it to be honest, and it would be a good introductory read on the topic for Christians. It is more religious than I expected, but this could be eye opening for many.