melanie_dc 's review for:

All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung

5.0

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This was a moving, dazzling memoir. Nicole Chung openly shares her story of being a transracial adoptee—born to Korean immigrants and raised by a white family in an all-white town where she faced bullying as the only Asian kid around and even heard Asian stereotypes among her relatives. Her family never made any effort to introduce her to her Korean culture or address feelings she might have as an adoptee who could never hide that she wasn't born to the parents raising her. When Nicole is an adult and begins to think of creating her own family, she begins to explore looking for her birth parents and siblings. Her writing is beautiful, and I was in awe of the book's structure. It can be difficult to jump around in time when writing and put into words complicated feelings, but Nicole does a masterful job. I especially liked the chapters written about one of her relatives she later discovers. She weaves these into the book, explaining what this person was experiencing at the same time as Nicole. I imagine this can be a helpful, comforting book to other adoptees. And I think it should be read by all adopted parents—especially those adopting children of a different race—even if it might be difficult at times.