Chasing China by Kay Bratt
Published By: CreateSpace
Release Date: October 26, 2011
Format: Paperback - 344 pages / Kindle - 506 KB
ISBN: 1466478578
ASIN: B00632ITY8
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Asian Literature
About The Author:
Kay Bratt is a child advocate and author, residing near the base of Wacau Mountain, in the rolling hills of Georgia with her husband, daughter, dog and cat. In addition to coordinating small projects for the children of China, Kay is an active volunteer for An Orphans Wish (AOW). Kay lived in China for over four years and because of her experiences working with orphans, she strives to be the voice for children who cannot speak for themselves. Kay kicked off her career as an author with her best selling memoir titled Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage. Since that time she has been writing material to entertain readers while raising awareness of world issues. Kay is the author of The Bridge, Mei Li and The Wise Laoshi, and an upcoming novel titled A Thread Unbroken.
AUTHOR WEBSITE
GOODREADS
BUY THE BOOK: Chasing China
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Disclaimer: At the request of the author and Chick Lit Plus, a Kindle edition of the book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.
Virtual Book Tour Event: On Thursday, February 23, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, Kay Bratt participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Interview on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/02/author-interview-with-kay-bratt-author.html
Chasing China Virtual Event Contest: Win $10 Amazon Gift Card!
To enter the contest, click on the above link and post a comment on Kay's tour page to win a $10 Amazon gift card. If you purchase your copy of Chasing China before March 5 and send your receipt to Samantha@ChickLitPlus.com , you will get five (5) bonus entries!
Book Description:
Mia is beautiful, talented and has the world at her fingertips. But what makes her different than the average college student who juggles a heavy workload and a rat of a boyfriend? Many years ago she was born to an unknown family in China but soon discarded to fend for herself in a busy train station. Fate stepped in when Mia was taken to the local orphanage and adopted at the age of four by her American family. Life has been good for her, or at least as much as she has allowed it to be while pushing her deep feelings of abandonment to the back of her mind. Finally she has decided that in order to move forward, she must confront her past. Mia takes a journey to the mysterious land of her birth and embarks on a mission to find answers. As she follows the invisible red thread back through her motherland, she is enamored by the history and culture of her heritage - strengthening her resolve to get to the truth, even as Chinese officials struggle to keep it buried. With her unwavering spirit of determination, Mia battles the forces stacked against her and faces mystery, danger, a dash of romance, and finally a conclusion that will change her life.
My Book Review:
What would you do if you had been adopted at a young age and suppressed the feeling of abandonment, only to realize that now as an adult, in order to move forward you need to know your past? Could you take the risk of possibly never finding out the truth of why you were placed in an orphanage and put up for adoption? How will your decision affect your relationship with your adopted family? If you do find out the truth, how will it affect and/or change your future? These are the questions that Mia, a young Chinese woman had to consider in her quest of Chasing China for the truth of her adoption.
Mia is a young Chinese college student who was adopted in China by an American family at the age of four. Throughout her childhood she had suppressed the feeling of abandonment, no one knew of the turmoil that grew inside of her. She had even tried to resist the urging of her adopted parents to learn the culture and traditions of her motherland. It wasn't until she went away to college that she realized that her life had been a facade, that in reality, the mystery of her birth parents and adoption really had bothered her for a very long time. She figured out that she wouldn't be able to move forward in her life until she faced the truth about her past. While she was on spring break from college, Mia decided to embark on a life changing journey of self-discovery of who she was, in order to become who she can be in the future. That journey led her to travel to her motherland, China, to embark on an odyssey that would be filled with mystery, betrayal, deception, heartache, loss, discovery, love and redemption.
Chasing China is a powerful and compelling story of a young woman seeking to find answers about her birth family, her past and the reason for her adoption. The storyline was well written and intriguing, as Mia embarks on her journey to seek answers, the reader comes along for the ride that proves to be one of an emotional roller coaster. The characters were well developed and realistic, their complex personalities and interactions with each other gave the story depth and made it that much more compelling. I loved how Mia and Jax's relationship developed throughout the story, it provided a lighter part to an otherwise very heart wrenching and difficult journey that Mia endured while on her search for the truth of her past. The author's description of the setting in China was fascinating, I found myself googling the Chinese cities of Suzhou, Shanghai and Xi'an, just to satisfy my curiosity. I also found that her description of the Chinese culture and traditions were equally fascinating. I always enjoy a story that has descriptions that embraces the reader. I think that the author's personal experience of having lived and worked in China, especially within the orphanage and adoption process, enriched the story and made it that much more compelling and powerful. The author's description of the heart wrenching plight of the Chinese population, especially that of the orphans and street children, and the shady government tactics and corrupt bureaucracy was very disturbing, it made me wonder what other atrocities that the Chinese people may have to endure under their government. I think that by telling Mia's story, the author is promoting awareness of this disturbing plight of the Chinese children to the rest of the world.
Chasing China is an hauntingly beautiful story that is powerful and compelling, it begs to be read by readers who have an interest in the adoption process, and who embrace human interest stories.
RATING: 4 STARS ****
Thanks for the review Kathleen!
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