Reclaiming Lily

Reclaiming Lily

by Patti Lacy

Dr. Kai Chang discovers that her mother died of polycystic kidney disease (PKD), and dedicates her life to fighting the disease. Because the disease is hereditary, she is determined to track down her sister Lily, the daughter her parents gave up in China years ago.   Once she finds her location with adoptive parents Andrew and Gloria Powell in Texas, she attempts to make contact with them and Lily, now named Joy. The Powells are hesitant and paranoid that she is trying to take Joy away from them. When natural disaster, tragedy, and illness come upon them, suddenly what is most important rises to the surface. 

I loved this book. I really enjoyed all of the characters, and the plot stayed interesting to me until the very last page, and the very last paragraph, with a very surprising turn of events. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary fiction. 

About the author

Patti Lacy graduated from Baylor University with a BS in education and completed master's-level courses in English at Indiana State University. She taught at Heartland Community College until May 2006, when she resigned to pursue her passion of writing. The author of three previous novels, Patti is the mother of two grown children and lives with her husband in Normal, Illinois. For more about Patti and her other books, visit her website at www.pattilacy.com. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The House of Hope

The House of Hope

by Elisabeth Gifford

From the back of the book:

In 1998 Robin and Joyce Hill gave up their wealthy expatriate life in China to take sick and abandoned orphans into their home. With their two youngest children the couple moved into a small apartment miles outside Beijing, setting up the first cot in their dining room.

In October 2000 Hope Foster Home received its first tiny children. All had been abandoned and many needed urgent surgical assistance. As news spread, so help arrived, along with more orphans. Before long directors of Child Welfare Institutes across China were asking Robin and Joyce to step in. 

To date Robin and Joyce and their dedicated team have rescued over 1000 children. 

This book was so inspiring. Knowing that the Hills helped and are still helping so many children is amazing to me. I have to admit I did not read the whole book because I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story. I think if it had been written in first person - at least some portions of it - it would have been more enjoyable to read, and more personal. That being said, I still think the story is amazing and the Hills' ministry is worthwhile for many people to read about. 

One hundred percent of proceeds of this book go to fund the work at Hope Foster Home. You can visit the website here. Also, click here to learn more about how you can get a $50 Amazon gift card and $50 in your name to Hope Foster Home!

About the author:

Elisabeth Gifford is a journalist who has written for the London Times and the Independent Newspapers. She lives in Kingston, England, and teaches children with dyslexia.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from LitFuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A Heart for Freedom

A Heart for Freedom

by Chai Ling

In the spring of 1989, a series of protests in Beijing, China's Tiananmen Square broke out. The response of the Chinese government horrified the world, who watched the events on television. Chai Ling was part of the demonstrations, but she was trying to do so peacefully and help bring calm to the other demonstrators. A Heart for Freedom tells Ling's story from childhood to college, to the Tiananmen Square protests, to her heart for rescuing the children that China has abandoned.

Ling recounts her 3 forced abortions under China's one child policy. I read with horror that women in China must get a birthing license in order to give birth. Women who aren't married, or already have a child, definitely cannot obtain a birthing license - therefore, the government forces them to abort their babies.

The book got a little "detail heavy" around the Tiananmen Square scenes, but I know it was necessary for Ling to recount not only what happened, but to honor those who died while protesting for something they believed in, and, I think, to get some closure for herself. The part of the book that fascinated me was her escape from China and her days as a fugitive.

I admire Ling for her courage in taking a stand for what she believes in. She recently accepted Christ as her Savior, and sees her mission to save China and the girls of China, in the light of God's truth. Today, Ling has an organization called All Girls Allowed, whose mission is "to restore life, value, and dignity to girls and mothers, and to reveal the injustice of China's One-Child Policy."

No doubt, this book is not easy to read, due to all of the horrors experienced at the hands of the Chinese government. But I think it is one that everyone should read, or at least know about.

Read more: http://www.allgirlsallowed.org/about/our-mission#ixzz1ZuDHJHWZ

About the author:

In addition to founding All Girls Allowed, Chai Ling serves as the Founding President and Chief Operating Officer of Jenzabar, Inc., a leading higher education software and services provider. Prior to Jenzabar, Chai Ling worked as a consultant at Bain & Company, a leading global business and strategy consulting firm. She holds a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, a M.L.A. in Public Affairs at Princeton University, and a B.A. from Beijing University. Chai Ling also established the Jenzabar Foundation and serves as one of its Board Members. The Foundation supports the most inspirational and influential humanitarian efforts of student leaders through grant opportunities. A key student leader herself in the 1989 Tiananmen Square movement, Chai Ling was subsequently named Glamour Woman of the Year and nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Read more at: http://www.allgirlsallowed.org/about/our-team#ixzz1XwuI9XJp.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Safely Home

Safely Home

by Randy Alcorn

Ben Fielding is an American business executive whose company is trying to expand development in China. When his boss asks him to travel to China to visit an old college roommate in order to get a better feel for Chinese culture, Ben is skeptical. He hasn't seen his roommate, Li Quan, for 20 years. When he arrives at Quan's house, he is shocked to discover that his friend lives in a tiny one room house with little amenities. He also discovers that Quan has kept true to his faith in God, while Ben has walked away. 

Determined to keep his distance from Christianity, he escapes the first few Sundays of the underground house church that meets in the wee hours of the morning. When he agrees to go one week, his impression of the Chinese Christians, and God, makes him second guess his aloofness. When Quan takes the ultimate stand for his faith, Ben discovers what is most important in life. 

I loved this book. It was very hard to read at times, because persecution is not an easy subject. I found myself amazed at the level of faith that the Chinese Christians have. As the book notes, American Christians have no idea what it is like to have to hold a church meeting in secret, or hide Bibles. I was very moved when I read the part about the way they painstakingly copy sections of scripture, and rip out books of the Bible so they still have a part of the Bible in the case of Chinese authorities discarding. 

Of note, this book was originally written in 2001, and the copy I read was the 10th anniversary edition. This is truly an amazing, eye opening book, and it is one I think every Christian should read.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."