Saturday, November 12, 2011

Reclaiming Lily... a book review

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Reclaiming Lily

Reclaiming Lily brings us a peek into the lives of the Chinese people during their Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.  For those who do not agree with Chairman Mao's edicts, life becomes a nightmare including imprisonment and death. 

This book opens in Eastern China in the 1990 at the beginning of international adoptions of their children.  Andrew and Gloria Powell are nagivating a cross-cultural adoption and only seek to be united to their baby daughter.  Instead, they are informed there is no baby to be adopted at the orphanage.  In the midst of their disappointment, Gloria feels led to a shy, beautiful ten year-old girl she names Joy. 

Seven years later, a renown doctor, Kai Chang, received the information she has eagerly awaited.  Information about her sister who was adopted from China in 1990 by the Powells.  After arranging a meeting with Joy's parents, she flies from Boston to Fort Worth, Texas, to not only meet them and possibly Joy, but also to discuss her family's health history.  Kai, a kidney specialist, has determined her mother's cause of death, PKD, polycystic kidney disease, a hereditary and terminal disease.  The only treatment is dialysis (until the kidneys no longer respond) or a kidney transplant.

With the Powells standing in the way of diagnosing her sister, she needs to share her life and memories from China many years earlier.  Can Gloria, a shy pastor's wife, let Kai into Joy's life?  Will Joy choose her blood sister over her?  Will Gloria and Kai be able to cross cultural lines to put Joy, and her health, before everything else?  Will Kai be able to save her?  Who is saving who?

Click HERE to read the Prologue and Chapter 1!

Patti Lacy has written a moving and life-changing book.  Not only did I see the atrocities of the Chinese Cultural Revolutions, but also the challenges of cross-cultural adoption.  This is a story one of our neighbors could be living through.  I recommend Reclaiming Lily to anyone who desires to see God at work in the lives of everyday people.  You will walk away from this book changed, moved, inspired... for the better!

Thank you to Bethany House Publishing Group for my complimentary copy for this review.

Blessings,
     Ellen

3 comments:

  1. Sounds like another great book! A bonus that part of it is set in Ft Worth (my hometown). I really want to read this one. Thanks for the review. :)

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  2. Oh this looks good, I will have to look into this, thanks for sharing!

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  3. Hi Ellen, thanks for the book review! I have read a number of books about the Cultural Revolution and am always looking for books to add to my literature-based curriculum. Would you say that this would be appropriate for high school students? Would it be of interest to boys as well as girls? Or better for adults? Thanks for your input!

    Blessings~ Dana

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