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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
For such a small number of pages, this book packs a real punch.
'All You Can Ever Know' is a memoir about Nicole Chung's life as an adopted child, and how having her own children causes her to reflect on her transracial adoption. Throughout the book, she not only details how growing up as a Korean child in a white family both attached and detached her to her birth family and their culture, but how re-discovering them as an adult altered her view of the world and how to raise her two daughters.
Chung writes powerful, spare prose that drips emotion from each line. You were peering into her innermost thoughts, attempting to understand truly what her life must have been like. You follow along with her discoveries, hurt when she hurts, celebrates when she celebrates. I can't say I've seen or read many books about the adoption process, but this one is an excellent start for anyone interested in the subject. I look forward to reading other pieces by Chung in the future.
'All You Can Ever Know' is a memoir about Nicole Chung's life as an adopted child, and how having her own children causes her to reflect on her transracial adoption. Throughout the book, she not only details how growing up as a Korean child in a white family both attached and detached her to her birth family and their culture, but how re-discovering them as an adult altered her view of the world and how to raise her two daughters.
Chung writes powerful, spare prose that drips emotion from each line. You were peering into her innermost thoughts, attempting to understand truly what her life must have been like. You follow along with her discoveries, hurt when she hurts, celebrates when she celebrates. I can't say I've seen or read many books about the adoption process, but this one is an excellent start for anyone interested in the subject. I look forward to reading other pieces by Chung in the future.
Very impressive writing just wasn’t the most enjoyable read
I do not have personal experience with adoption, but I think if I was an adoptee or and adoptive parent, I would read this book over and over. I spent the whole book asking myself what I would have done; as Nicole, as her adoptive parents, and as her birth parents, and the answer is "I have no idea". The story feels compassionate to all involved while bravely addressing issues that anyone could learn from.
I don't often read memoirs so this was unusual territory for me. I found it moving and poignant with rich writing. I truly enjoyed learning from the author's experiences as an adoptee and a person of color with little or no context to understand herself, her biological family, and her culture - and ultimately her tenacity to change that.
A wonderful memoir about transracial adoption and finding your identity. Nicole beautifully writes about her experience being adopted, and eventually meeting her birth family. She is able to capture the nuances of adoption creating a wonderfully cohesive book.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Reading Women Challenge 2019: A Book From the 2018 Reading Women Award Shortlist
I probably wouldn't have picked up this title on my own, but isn't that why I do reading challenges? Yes! To keep me reading outside my 'go-to' genres.
I am part of a large community of fostering and adoption families; hearing from the standpoint of a child/than adult who was given up and understanding so many emotions during her journey of knowledge was awe inspiring. Needing to know her health history spurred her on to find her biological family and while it connected her to come amazing family it also opened wounds with other family members. Worth a read if you need to take a walk in someone elses shoes.
I probably wouldn't have picked up this title on my own, but isn't that why I do reading challenges? Yes! To keep me reading outside my 'go-to' genres.
I am part of a large community of fostering and adoption families; hearing from the standpoint of a child/than adult who was given up and understanding so many emotions during her journey of knowledge was awe inspiring. Needing to know her health history spurred her on to find her biological family and while it connected her to come amazing family it also opened wounds with other family members. Worth a read if you need to take a walk in someone elses shoes.
Any memoir about being a transracial adoptee is probably worth reading. I saw Chung speak at PDX Bookfest last year and it’s also worth seeing her in person. Not every story like this will end with any bright sides, so this is also one worth sharing on that account.