The Lucky Ones: Our Stories of Adopting Children from China [Paperback]

Ann Rauhala (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

From the early stages of the adoption process to bringing the child back home, this collection of personal stories reveals why parents who have adopted children from China feel—despite the challenges they've endured—truly lucky. In one account, a woman contemplates her daughter’s lost heritage during a visit to a Chinese fertility temple; in another, a mother of Chinese descent reflects on the striking connections between her grandmother and her adopted daughter. One mother explores loss and grief among those who are abandoned, while another parent contemplates her child's inevitable difficulty learning English after hearing only Mandarin. A father creates an imaginary world for his daughters by writing stories about a girl detective solving crimes in Shanghai, and a single professional woman discusses how her daughter filled a void in her life. The memoirs are organized by the experience: starting with infertility then realizing a unique destiny—turning bleak beginnings into happy endings.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"These compelling, poignant, lovely vignettes will resonate with anyone who has ever adopted. . . . A beautiful collection that belongs in the home of adoptive families everywhere."  —Jane A. Brown, MSW, creator, Adoption Playshops!

"Lucky us who are given the chance to glimpse this brave new world of families embraced by so much hope and goodwill."  —Wayson Choy, author, The Jade Peony and  All That Matters

"Despite this collection's upbeat tone, it doesn’t sugarcoat adoption—contributors wonder about birthparents, worry about prejudice, and struggle to parent children of a different culture."  —Adoptive Families Magazine

About the Author

Ann Rauhala is a former columnist and foreign editor of The Globe and Mail and is currently director of newspapers at the School of Journalism at Ryerson University. She lives in Toronto.

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: ECW Press; First edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550228234
• ISBN-13: 978-1550228236
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,521,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)