The Red Thread by Ann Hood
Synopsis from Amazon
From the best-selling author of The Knitting Circle, a mother’s powerful journey from loss to love. “In China there is a belief that people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. Who is at the end of your red thread?”
After losing her infant daughter in a freak accident, Maya Lange opens The Red Thread, an adoption agency that specializes in placing baby girls from China with American families. Maya finds some comfort in her work, until a group of six couples share their personal stories of their desire for a child. Their painful and courageous journey toward adoption forces her to confront the lost daughter of her past. Brilliantly braiding together the stories of Chinese birth mothers who give up their daughters, Ann Hood writes a moving and beautifully told novel of fate and the red thread that binds these characters’ lives. Heartrending and wise, The Red Thread is a stirring portrait of unforgettable love and yearning for a baby.
My Thoughts
At first I found the book a bit hard to follow. There are so many characters introduced in a short period of time. After I got used to the rhythm of the story I was able to follow along without any troubles. The story is about 6 couples who are seeking adoption from The Red Thread Adoption Agency run by Maya. Maya opened the agency after losing her own daughter in a tragic accident. The book follows what the adoptive couples go through and also follows the story of the Chinese birth mothers and what they are going through. The adoptive couples are a wide array of characters, some not so great. I could feel the pain of the birth mothers as they struggled with their decisions. I liked Maya and felt sorry for her. It kind of seemed like torture to bring babies into the lives of others after she has lost her own daughter. I liked this book alot and how it showed both sides of the story. I liked the idea that an invisible red thread connects people that are destined to be together. Once I was acquainted with all of the characters, I zipped right through the book.
I received this book for review courtesy of the W.W. Norton & Company and Librarything Early Reviewers
The cover on this is beautiful. It sounds like a touching story.
ReplyDeletethis sound like a good read.
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to read this book so I am so happy to see you ended up like it in the end. I think it's a really interesting story to tell!
ReplyDeleteThe color red seems to be very symbolic in the Chinese culture. A colleague of mine was telling me that you are supposed to wear something red every day during the year of your Chinese zodiac to ward off evil. It's interesting to see another reference in your blog.
ReplyDeleteGreat review! This is the first I've seen this book - I'll look out for it now.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed this author in the past. I was hoping this one would be good??
ReplyDeleteWe have two nieces that were adopted from China. I need to tell my sister-in-law about this book. I'll be on the lookout for it myself. Thanks for sharing about it!
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds good - I'll remember to jot down notes about the characters if I ever get a chance to read it.
ReplyDeleteLove the cover and your review!
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