Every year, thousands of babies leave Asia for foreign lands, boarding planes that will jet them off to new countries, new lives, new futures. Chances of the babies ever re-connecting with their birth families are slim to none, a big plus for many adoptive couples. Considering this, Mei-Ling Hopgood's story really is pretty amazing. It's also funny, poignant and compulsively readable.

Hopgood, an American journalist who was adopted from Taiwan as a baby, talks about her reunion with her birth family in her memoir Lucky Girl. Raised in Michigan by her loving adoptive parents, Hopgood lived a happy, secure American life. She thought little about her Taiwanese culture or the family who had placed her for adoption. Mei-Ling knew enough - she was born to poor farmers who could barely support the 6 children they already had - to appreciate the good fortune that brought her to middle-class America. She was, indeed, a lucky girl.

As she grew up, Mei-Ling faced the kind of identity crisis common to transracial adoptees; by the time she graduated from college, however, she simply viewed her Asian roots with "distance and ambivalence" (119). Little did she know that her past was about to come a whole lot closer, demading anything but ambivalence. A recent college graduate, Hopgood was living in Detroit when she got the phone call that would change her life. On the other end of the line, Chris Hopgood, Mei-Ling's adoptive mother, mentioned that Sister Maureen - the nun who had cared for Mei-Ling after her birthparents placed her in an orphanage - was in town. Chris encouraged her daughter to call their old friend, which she did. An invitation to dinner and an off-hand remark about finding her birthparents later, Mei-Ling realized she had opened Pandora's box. Suddenly, Taiwanese relatives were phoning at all hours of the day, pelting her with questions and requests. The family that abandoned her in an orphanage two decades ago now couldn't leave her alone.

In spite of herself, Mei-Ling wanted to meet her birth family. March of 1997 found her embarking on her first trip to Taiwan, a journey that would take her into the heart of a loud, complex family that was, intriguingly, her own. She formed instant bonds with her 5 Taiwanese sisters, who encouraged her to locate another sister who had been adopted by a Swiss couple. Mei-Ling found the sisters engaging with their uproarious, unfiltered personalities. Her birthparents (whom she calls Ma and Ba) were another matter - Ba dominated every gathering with his cantankerous, controlling attitude and Ma let him, much as she had throughout their entire marriage. Language and culture obstructed effective communication, and Mei-Ling struggled to feel close to these parents she never knew. To add to the confusion, she felt a disturbing undercurrent in the family, as if behind their boisterous facade they hid deep, dark secrets. The more Mei-Ling probed, the more she discovered. In the end, she had to decide what to do with this new family and the Asian roots that ran a lot deeper than she'd ever been willing to admit.

Like most stories about transracial adoption, this one touches on themes of identity, culture, and family lost and found. The difference is tone - Lucky Girl is upbeat, funny and only a little bitter. While it pays homage to Mei-Ling's close-knit American family, it doesn't discount her Taiwanese relatives, who, despite the horrors of their past, make the effort to reunite their fractured family. Filled with colorful anecdotes and astute observations on transracial adoption, the book makes for an entertaining, but thought-provoking read. The writing could have been tighter, but, all in all, I enjoyed this one.

Grade: B

(Note: Lucky Girl will not be available until April 28, although it can be pre-ordered at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. It will also be featured in the June issue of Elle magazine, probably with comments by yours truly.)

So, I made the mistake of taking an afternoon nap and drinking 2 bottles of Mt. Dew today (I'm back in the Weight Watchers as of tomorrow), so I'm wide awake at 1 in the morning. Aw well, it's nice and quiet - the perfect time to update the ole blog. I just have a few things this morning:

- First off, I'm sure you've noticed that I have 2 great giveaways going on right now. I'm excited to be offering Matrimony by Joshua Henkin and Freshman for President, a YA novel by Ally Condie. They are two vastly different books - you can read my reviews to find out what I thought of them. Both of the contests end on the 28th, so if you haven't entered, do it now. I did fail to mention that since both books are coming directly from the authors, only those with U.S. or Canadian addresses may enter. If you live outside the U.S., buck up - I have more giveaways coming up for which you will be elgible. Yay!

- I decided to institute a new feature called "Mormon Mentions." Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are often mentioned in books and movies, sometimes in good ways, sometimes in not so good ways. This will be my chance to comment on what is being written - hopefully, I can debunk myths as well as laugh at my own "peculiar people."

- Motherhood and church obligations have left me crazy-busy, so I haven't been trolling book blogs like I usually do. I'm woefully behind on all of your news and recommendations. I did want to mention this contest, however, because the book looks fun: Anne Bradshaw is giving away a copy of Lemon Tart by Josi S. Kilpack. Although Kilpack is LDS, I don't believe this book has anything to do with the church. I've never read her, but I've heard good things.

- Like I mentioned, lots of good things (think: giveaways!) are coming. My reading has slowed a bit, but I'm still at it. So, keep checking back for more reviews, author interviews and such. In the meantime - Happy Reading!

One of the main reasons I decided to start this feature is because of this line from Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult:

"He'd been a corn-fed Utah boy, pitching subscriptions to benefit The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" (145).

Now, I love Jodi Picoult - she writes intelligent, thought-provoking books (of which a new one is coming out on March 3 - yay!), but I can't imagine where she got the notion that LDS boys hit the streets selling magazine subscriptions to benefit the church. I have never heard of anyone doing this in my life. I don't pretend to know all the ins and outs of the church's finances, but I can pretty much guarantee that it doesn't rely on magazine subscriptions to fund its doings.

Probably the thing we Mormons are best known for (besides polygamy, which hasn't been practiced in 100 years, for Heaven's sake) is good, clean living. I love that we're known as "designated good influence[s]."

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If you're the kind of person who can't watch a movie or read a book without complaining, "That so wouldn't happen," or "That's so unrealistic," then you're not going to like Freshman for President by Ally Condie. Because, let's face it, the plot requires a little - maybe a lot - of that good ole' willing-suspension-of-disbelief thing. If you can accept the highly improbable, then I think you'll enjoy this sweet novel about following your dreams, no matter how impossible they seem.
The freshman in question here is Milo J. Wright, a "sideliner" extraordinaire. He's one of those guys who's on the soccer team, but never starts; is liked, but isn't wildly popular; does well in school, but will never be valedictorian. In other words, he's a pretty average 15-year-old. Except, he's got plans to push himself into the limelight - he's going to run for class president. So, when school elections get cancelled unexpectedly, he's devastated. Now, how is he going to lose his "sideliner" status?
Fortunately for Milo, his best friend happens to be a genius. Eden James knows exactly how to get him noticed - she's got a brilliant plan to get him elected president. Not just class president, mind you, but President of the United States of America. So, okay, there are a few flaws in her idea - (1) The president has to be 35 years old; (2) Successful campaigns cost more than Milo makes mowing lawns; and (3) Who's going to take a teenage candidate seriously? Even if they find solutions to those issues (and they do), Milo still has to deal with school, Pee Wee soccer, girls, and his sister, who seems to have changed into a different person overnight. Despite all this, Milo is committed to his goal. Not only is he going to make a name for himself, but he's also going to make sure teenagers get a voice in the election. Even if he can't win for real (since he's too young to take office), he can sure as heck try. With a little help from his friends, he may even make a difference in the world. In the process, he'll learn a great deal about friendship, determination, and what it means to reach for an impossible dream.
We've already determined that the plot of this book is a little far-fetched. Still, it's a simple, positive story about teenagers working toward an honorable goal. In a YA market saturated with black-cloaked, doom-and-gloom novels, Freshman for President glows with positive energy. Not only is it a clean read, but it's upbeat and inspiring. I'll take that over vampire-hunting any day. Sure, the book could use some work - characters could be fleshed out, Milo could have more compelling motives, the kids could speak less like 7th graders and more like high schoolers - but really, it's refreshing in its simplicity. Condie picked the perfect election year to publish this book; U.S. citizens just elected a man of color to the presidency, clearly anything can happen. A teenager running for president? Maybe it's not such a long shot after all.
Grade: B+