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Lovely, poignant story.
Have read several books over past months that have been stories of trans-racial adoption, foster care and people discovering biological parents. They’ve all been filled with nuance and insight about navigating their lives that I have found meaningful and interesting to realize.
Have read several books over past months that have been stories of trans-racial adoption, foster care and people discovering biological parents. They’ve all been filled with nuance and insight about navigating their lives that I have found meaningful and interesting to realize.
I detested reading this book if I'm honest. This type of expository form of writing, which, as others point out should have been condensed to a personal essay, was incredibly boring. And I've read so many interesting books exploring struggles with identity, being biracial, immigrants, children of immigrants in and outside the US that made me feel and see the dynamics, i got nothing of that from this book. I was more interested in Cindy as a charcter than Nicole and Nicoles life experience actually seemed pretty bland. Perhaps I'm harsh because my own family history is dark and twisted and I think that discovery is not unique to adoptees, nor did i get a sense of who her parents, husband or she was. I do not understand the praise for this book, other than peoples possible fascination with adoption.
I'm not a book crier, but I got a little emo in multiple spots. I really admire her conviction and strong identity, particularly when her story is one of seeking that identity. I wasn't expecting to relate to much, given that I'm super white and not adopted, but thought her experiences reflect much more universal things. I'm excited about how good this somewhat offhand book club pick turned out to be.
3.5
Appreciate the openness. Writing ran long. I felt I needed a graf or two about her relationship with Jessica.
Appreciate the openness. Writing ran long. I felt I needed a graf or two about her relationship with Jessica.
Beautifully written memoir/meditation on family, motherhood, race, belonging and love.
This is the year of memoirs for me. I've read 7 memoirs in the past year, and I loved them all. This one was no exception.
The topic of transracial adoption is something that has been on my mind quite a bit lately, and is getting talked about more and more, especially with an emphasis on centering voices of adoptees. I have to admit that until this year, I had never really considered what it would feel like to be adopted, especially for children of color adopted by white parents. I bought in to the simplified "Disney-fied" version of adoption that is so popular in our culture, where the adoptive parents "save" children from being abandoned and give them a better, happier life. I like how Chung no longer thinks of adoption as "good" or "bad," but "realistic" versus "oversimplified." I first started challenging this simplified narrative when I listened to an episode of the Faith & Feminism podcast (link below), and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about transracial adoption- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/centering-adoptee-voices/id1438368947?i=1000489042173
The author also includes a discussion guide in the back of the book, and I think this could be an excellent group study. It is a very emotional book, though, so I would be careful about who is part of the group; you wouldn't want to have a discussion group with only one adoptive parent, for example, because the topic is going to be very personal for that parent, and they might feel misunderstood by the other group members who don't have the same experience.
The topic of transracial adoption is something that has been on my mind quite a bit lately, and is getting talked about more and more, especially with an emphasis on centering voices of adoptees. I have to admit that until this year, I had never really considered what it would feel like to be adopted, especially for children of color adopted by white parents. I bought in to the simplified "Disney-fied" version of adoption that is so popular in our culture, where the adoptive parents "save" children from being abandoned and give them a better, happier life. I like how Chung no longer thinks of adoption as "good" or "bad," but "realistic" versus "oversimplified." I first started challenging this simplified narrative when I listened to an episode of the Faith & Feminism podcast (link below), and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about transracial adoption- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/centering-adoptee-voices/id1438368947?i=1000489042173
The author also includes a discussion guide in the back of the book, and I think this could be an excellent group study. It is a very emotional book, though, so I would be careful about who is part of the group; you wouldn't want to have a discussion group with only one adoptive parent, for example, because the topic is going to be very personal for that parent, and they might feel misunderstood by the other group members who don't have the same experience.
This was an interesting perspective on transracial adoption from the perspective of the adoptee. I liked hearing her self reflection, especially as she reconnected with biological family members and had her own biological child. I enjoyed her perspective- one that I had not heard before.
Insightful memoir about identity and adoption and the nature of family
A beautifully written memoir that reminds me of that saying: Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about, so be kind. To be pregnant for the first time and then a first time parent, while simultaneously finding your birth family - learning things you might not have been prepared for - and wondering whether the sister you always wanted, will want you - wow. It's very brave of Nicole Chung to be this open, this vulnerable, this giving with her thoughts, feelings and reactions about her life experience.
This is a memoir about finding. It's Chung's story about how she, a baby from a Korean birth family, was adopted by a white family and raised in southern Oregon - a geographic area that is hugely white. It's the story of her childhood, how and why she set about finding her birth family, and the outcome of her search. It's about her search for her racial heritage, what it meant to her, and why it was important to her.
What can this mean for each one of us, as a reader? It's about finding your family - whoever and wherever they are - and about finding empathy and forgiveness. It's about finding yourself. It's about finding empathy and forgiveness for yourself, and finding it among others who are trying to give it to you. It's about looking at your past, and your future. Chung's reflections about motherhood, and her daughter; her reflections about her sister and what it has been like to find that bond - are so open and incredibly moving.
I've been a fan of Nicole Chung's writing and editing skills for a while, and this memoir is all I hoped it would be. Being giving with your writing is a very challenging skill, and being giving when writing some hard stories about your own life, even more so. I stand in awe and respect.
This is a memoir about finding. It's Chung's story about how she, a baby from a Korean birth family, was adopted by a white family and raised in southern Oregon - a geographic area that is hugely white. It's the story of her childhood, how and why she set about finding her birth family, and the outcome of her search. It's about her search for her racial heritage, what it meant to her, and why it was important to her.
What can this mean for each one of us, as a reader? It's about finding your family - whoever and wherever they are - and about finding empathy and forgiveness. It's about finding yourself. It's about finding empathy and forgiveness for yourself, and finding it among others who are trying to give it to you. It's about looking at your past, and your future. Chung's reflections about motherhood, and her daughter; her reflections about her sister and what it has been like to find that bond - are so open and incredibly moving.
I've been a fan of Nicole Chung's writing and editing skills for a while, and this memoir is all I hoped it would be. Being giving with your writing is a very challenging skill, and being giving when writing some hard stories about your own life, even more so. I stand in awe and respect.