I loved this book.
I live in Lancashire and visit Morecambe from time to time. My next visit is this week for a Christmas lunch at the Headway Hotel.
My son lives in Australia with his Australian wife. They have adopted two Chinese children. The first one a girl at nine months who is now 8 years old. Last year they went back with a group of parents and children to visit her orphanage. They were received by the head of the orphanage in the board room as 'successful graduates'. My grand child has had counselling offered by the adoption organisation in Australia to support her expression of identity and understand how to deal with questions both her own and other people's. Just as they got back from the orphanage last year they set out again to bring back an adopted son aged 22 months with a cleft palate. I spent 4 months in Australia with them shortly after they arrived back and then visited again this year. There has been a huge development of language, mutual play, brother sister interaction in the year. Before this in 2007 I did a Community Care visit to China with Master Travel. We were a group of social workers, psychologists teachers etc. and visited an orphanage, community centre, old people's home, Beijing Hospital, the Houtongs etc.
However, back to the book. Betsy Tobin is brilliant. Her understanding of May the adopted child in her family, and of the Chinese cockle picker, his relationship to his sister and to other people, I feel shows a very insightful and realistic understanding of relationships. I have attended some novel writing groups. It is difficult to write, and so I admire Betsy's skill. I found it hard to put the book down.
I ordered it on my Kindle the moment I read the review on Gransnet.
Do find us other books like this.