BOOK BY: Susie Finkbeiner
This is a story about an American family who adopt a child from Vietnam in 1975 when thousands of children were flown from Saigon to be adopted by western families. Having lost a beloved brother in the Vietnam war the Matthews family is hesitant to bring home a child that would be a constant reminder of the tragedy that took his life. Yet the desire to expand their family trumps their hesitations.
This split time novel tells of that adoption and how it affected their family, narrated by three different members in three different years – 1975, 1988, 2013/14. It’s an interesting examination of what truly makes a family, family.
There’s a slew of interesting characters that add to the family dynamics, including a grieving grandmother who treats the newest member with little regard. And there’s much nostalgia for readers who have grown up in the 70s and 80s with pop culture references and fashion references.
The author’s easy writing style drew me into the Matthews’ lives, making me feel along with the heartache, excitement and disappointments throughout the story.
I was a bit disappointed with the Minh/Mindy’s story, particularly the ending. It felt a bit anticlimactic as she begins her search and then the story ends abruptly. It would have been a more satisfying experience reading about Mindy’s search and visit to Vietnam since much of the tension from the rest of the novel was due in part to her decision to find her birth family.
I received a copy of the novel from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.