Customer Reviews

Grace from China

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book does more than teach the reader about the lengthy adoption process in China but also addresses love and loss from a young girl's point of view. I was immediately drawn to Jess, the main character, and really able to identify and empathize with her feelings. There is a wonderful, real relationship between mother and daughter as they begin a journey across the world to meet their new family member. Along the way, the other interesting characters offer support and share the same anxious emotions that Jess and her mother feel. Scenery and detailed language allowed me to step right into the book and travel from the windy city of Lubbock all the way to the busy streets in China. The way I could relate to Jess, even as a young adult, proves that this book is not only for younger readers, but can teach us all a lesson about accepting life changing events. For Jess, this event has lead to understanding there is a reason for everything, and she begins a new wonderful journey in life and love for a new baby sister.

An intriguing novel for older children and adults about a family's adoption from China. But in addition to being a poignant book about an adoption journey, it is also the story of how the protagonist, ninth grader Jess, begins to recover from the unexpected death of her father.

This is a gentle book that I think many children and adults who are unfamiliar with adoption, or who are older and whose family has adopted, will enjoy. The images of China are memorable and you get a real feeling of what it is like traveling with an eclectic adoption group in China. The grief that Jess feels throughout the book is sad, but the overall theme is one of life going on.

What an amazing story. Jacqueline Kolosov's characters come to life in this tale of growing up and moving on in such a way that even now, when the tale is finished, I find myself wanting to know how their lives are going. The language is beautiful, and the story is captivating. The main character reminds me of myself when I was that age, and I think that developing young women would relate to her in a way they may not have before in their reading. It touches not only those who have experience with the adoption experience (which it certainly does), but also the future generation of women living in a globalized world. It is a must-read!

While listed as fiction for young adults, I would caution parents from having their children read this unless they read it first. Jess, the main character, seemed more mature than most 14-year-olds, but perhaps maturity is achieved through the tragedy of her father's unexpected death. We are in the process of adopting from China and the descriptions in many of the scenes ring true with what friends and acquaintences who have already completed the journey have shared with us. I was moved to tears more than once; both tears of sadness at Jess's grief and tears of joy when the families are finally united with their daughters. Book also touches on many of the social and political reasons behind Chinese adoption. I would recommend especially for those who cannot get their families to read the non-fiction books such as "Lost Daughters of China".

I wish I had a book like this to read and relate to when I was a young girl. The author does an amazing job of quickly drawing one into Jess's, the main character's, life. The thoughts and feelings that she experiences are so well descibed that I felt myself sharing in her sorrow, her anger, and her joy. The author gives us a fine example of a young woman finding the strength to overcome her challenges and to begin developing her own sense of self. However, Kolosov does not leave out intense descriptions of the other characters, their journey to become new families, and the country and culture of China. While our society often promotes growth at the expense of others, Kolosov's book sends out the much healthier message that it is becoming open to others that truly helps us become ourselves.

jess lose is something i can relate to ,i lost my mom 1 year ago .face fact you lose a big part of your self you must go on living.jess going to china show her that their a world out there to live in.keep your memeries but make new ones

Grace From China is a beautifully written, moving story of a young girl suffering the trials and tribulations of losing a father and gaining a sister. It is so much more than that, though. Though this is written for a young adult audience, I found that the historical edge to the story led to me think of things I had never before considered, such as the internal conflicts a girl from China must experience when trying to gain pride from her roots, but finding that her homeland has historically subjugated women and taken pride only in the birth of boys. I highly recommened this book to both children and adults, and plan to have my nine-year-old son read it soon.

This is a fictional piece of work that blends together several much better written books. It is supposed to be from a 12 or 13 year olds view. Sometimes the writing is what would expect from a teenager and other times, the writing is in a very different style. Read the original books and you will gain more information on adoption from China.