The Year She Left Us by Kathryn Ma – 336 pages
Book Blurb:
The Kong women are in crisis. A disastrous trip to visit her “home” orphanage in China has plunged eighteen-year-old Ari into a self-destructive spiral. Her adoptive mother, Charlie, a lawyer with a great heart, is desperate to keep her daughter safe. Meanwhile, Charlie must endure the prickly scrutiny of her beautiful, Bryn Mawr educated mother, Gran—who, as the daughter of a cultured Chinese doctor, came to America to survive Mao’s Revolution—and her sister, Les, a brilliant judge with a penchant to rule over everyone’s lives. As they cope with Ari’s journey of discovery and its aftermath, the Kong women will come face to face with the truths of their lives—four powerful intertwining stories of accomplishment, tenacity, secrets, loneliness, and love. Beautifully illuminating the bonds of family and blood, The Year She Left Us explores the promise and pain of adoption, the price of assimilation and achievement, the debt we owe to others, and what we owe ourselves.
My Review: 2.5 stars
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This book had an excellent premise and I loved the idea of a Chinese adoption to a Chinese American woman. However for me, the characters fell flat. I was missing the warmth that should have come from the Kong women. Ari was the most multi-faceted Kong woman yet I disliked her selfish attitude about feeling “lucky” to have been adopted. I wish that was explored more by the author. She was rebellious and I couldn’t gather why she had so much angst towards her mom. Gran was the most surprising character and I appreciated that she was so different than her daughters surmised. Alternating chapters with different character’s voices was a good idea, yet it bothered me that some were in third person while some were in first. I have several friends who have adopted internationally and I’m curious to what they’d think of this book. I requested this book because it was recommended as one of 2014’s suggested reads. Overall an interesting plotline that for me, fell through on execution.
Quotes I liked:
Some people work hard to earn our disrespect.”
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