From Home to Homeland: What Adoptive Families Need to Know before Making a Return Trip to China Review
I read this book because the topic is of critical interest to someone very close to me. I'm writing this review because I believe this book would be of great benefit to many others. Plus, being an American born Chinese first son, I found it just plain interesting reading. It's pretty long but since it falls into the category of books where longer is actually better, that's fine. Let's face it, if you plan to take your adopted Chinese child(ren) back to China, you probably would rather know more than less.
You probably would also want your experience to be unique. Well, just because another family did things a certain way doesn't mean you have to. In fact, often you shouldn't; you can learn from their mistakes as well. This book combines first hand accounts with general advice. I don't think knowing certain things ahead of time -- travel options and their pros and cons, what to pack or what not to bring on an overnight standing room only train ride, gift giving and general etiquette -- dilutes at all from the experience. If you're even reading a book like this, it probably means you want to be prepared.
But you will also find things you may never have anticipated. If you have other children, how might they react? Would you even have thought of being considerate of the feelings of the children you will meet who have yet to be adopted? And depending on the situation, what of the feelings of the original foster mother? Let me tell you, there's one scene described that is so beautifully sad, you'll be hard pressed not to shed a tear.
But that tear also partially signifies that you weren't prepared for it. Once you read this book, you'll be prepared for this and many other things. Yes, the return visit provides an opportunity for a wonderful adventure, but it can also be traumatizing for all involved. This book increases the odds it will be the former. If you're in the market for a book like this, do yourself and your family a favor and read this one.
And good luck. Every year, hundreds of adoptive families embark on homeland trips to China and other countries. Homeland trips offer great opportunities for helping adopted children develop a coherent narrative that makes sense of their complicated beginnings. Although the trip can be a joyful experience, it can also raise many challenges. The chapters of this book by Joyce Maguire Pavao, Jane Brown, Jane Leidtke, Rose Lewis, and many others offer the engaging perspectives of adoptive parents, professionals, researchers, and, most importantly, adopted children themselves. Together, they comprise a unique, invaluable resource that will help families prepare for a homeland trip, make decisions about how to travel, anticipate what they might experience in China, and meaningfully integrate events and emotions after arriving back home. From Home to Homeland is for all internationally adoptive families considering a homeland trip or figuring out how to best make sense of a trip after returning home.
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Customer Reviews
Invaluable Handbook for Loving Parents - Caring Mom - California, USA
This book is a stand-out combination of theory and practical tools to help parents navigate the complex experience of returning to China with their adopted children. Parents often feel isolated or ill-informed when it comes to supporting their children's connection to their homeland, but it doesn't have to be that way. This book gives you a community of colleagues and fellow parents from who to learn. I really enjoyed learning about return trips from the perspective of adoptees themselves, and it was helpful to get a better sense of how to travel with children who have more emotional needs. These nine section titles will give you a good idea of what the book covers:
I) Preparing Children and Families for the Trip
II) Choosing Group or Independent Travel
III) Making Connections in China
IV) Visiting the Orphanage, Finding Site and Foster Family
V) Traveling With Children Who Face Emotional Challenges
VI) Adoptees' Own Experiences of Returning to China
VII) Living in China Temporarily
VIII) Home Again: Lasting Impact of the Trip
IX) What the Research Tells Us
I highly recommend From Home to Homeland.
Jul 17, 2010 15:12:06
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