Small Talk, Amy Julia Becker
Small Talk, Amy Julia Becker
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Small Talk
Learning From My Children About What Matters Most

Author: Amy Julia Becker

Narrator: Amy Julia Becker

Unabridged: 6 hr 19 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/30/2023


Synopsis

Almost every day, one of Amy Julia's children says something or asks something that prompts her to think more carefully: "What 'lasting' mean?" William wonders when he hears a song about God being an everlasting God. "If the children who died went to heaven, then why are we sad?" Penny asks, when she passes by a funeral for a victim of the Sandy Hook shootings. "I don't wanna get 'tized!" says Marilee about baptism. These conversations deepen her relationships with her children, but they also deepen and refine her own understanding of what she believes, why she believes it, and what she hopes to pass along to the next generation.

Small Talk is a narrative based upon these conversations. It is not a parenting guide. It does not offer prescriptive lessons about how to talk with children. Rather, it tells stories based upon the questions and statements Amy Julia's children have made about the things that make life good, the things that make life hard, and what we believe.

Amy Julia moves in rough chronological order through the basic questions her kids asked when they were very young to the more intellectual and spiritual questions of later childhood. Small Talk invites other parents into these same conversations, with their children, with God, and with themselves.

About Amy Julia Becker

Amy Julia Becker is an award-winning writer and speaker on faith, family, disability, and culture. She is the author of several books, including White Picket Fences: Turning Towards Love in a World Divided by Privilege. She hosts the Love Is Stronger than Fear podcast.

Becker was born in Edenton, North Carolina, but has spent her adult life in the northeastern United States. A graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary, Becker now lives with her husband Peter and three children, Penny, William, and Marilee, in western Connecticut. Becker has a bi-vocational license with the Evangelical Covenant Church. She and her family are members of Salem Covenant Church.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Janae on January 11, 2025

A collection of thoughts gleaned from parenting which were inspiring, but pretty basic. The stories from her children were amusing and if I was a parent, I would probably appreciate it more.......more

Goodreads review by Caroline on January 23, 2015

This memoir-style book follows Amy Julia’s journey through several years of parenting two, then three, children, including one of whom has Down Syndrome. This series of stories encourages readers and highlights how we can see grace in the small moments of our lives. “In the midst of snow days and sic......more

Goodreads review by Jalynn on December 09, 2014

About the Book: Almost every day, one of Amy Julia's children says something or asks something that prompts her to think more carefully: What lasting mean? William wonders when he hears a song about God being an everlasting God. "If the children who died went to heaven, then why are we sad? Penny ask......more

Goodreads review by Diana on December 01, 2014

Small Talk By: Amy Julia Becker First book I have read by Amy but will look into others. Great title for the book. This book is full of just that small talk. You can pick up this book and read and put it down if you have to and come back to it. The book is divided up into small sections. excellent bo......more

Goodreads review by Kristin on November 26, 2014

Reading “Small Talk: Learning From My Children About What Matters Most” by Amy Julia Becker was so good for my momma soul. With so many other things I could have been doing, I wanted to read her stories – the real-life, ordinary moments she shared with her kids that prompted her to gain eternal pers......more