Language: PG-13 (16 swears, 1 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Isabella, Hà, and Olivia are sisters. All three are Vietnamese and were adopted when their biological parents couldn’t take care of them. Two were adopted from the same orphanage by an American family, and one was rejected by the orphanage and was instead raised by an aunt and her partner in Vietnam. These three girls struggle with identity, rejection, education, and more – and their stories aren’t over yet.
Hayasaki interviewed these girls and what she refers to as their constellation of family members. She also gives readers context by including lots of research regarding the political and social environments in both America and Vietnam that led to the adoption of these girls and regarding behavioral science, especially the theories and experiments having to do with twins. While the story and information is real, Hayasaki has written in a format that was easier to read than I was expecting – I even enjoyed reading the chapters about research! I feel like I have gained knowledge about my country, my identity, my family, and my hopes for the future – for me, for America, and for the world.
The main characters are American and Vietnamese, though they also relate their experiences with others of various races. Hayasaki also references adoption and twin experiences from and in other countries. The mature content rating is for discussions of war, poverty, abortion and miscarriages; mention of prostitutes, sex, and drugs; and alcohol use, including underage drinking. The violence rating is for brief discussion of suicide as well as for mentions of child abuse and implied murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
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