After being a member of Goodreads for many years, I finally broke my silence.
Ten Thousand Sorrows : The Extraordinary Journey of a Korean War Orphan by Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim presents a mirror for us to judge how we treat each other, how Christian communities and families can become oppressive and thrust horrendous expectations on women to obey, to accept their lot and be grateful for the accompany suffering. After experiencing multiple losses, many with an undercurrent of racism, Kim’s life lingers in depression. She stands on the threshold of suicide and must decide if she values life.
Loss is a consistent theme that threads its way through Elizabeth Kim’s writing. As a toddler, she loses her mother, she loses her home and rails against the missionary run orphanage that houses her. She loses her crib mate who dies while she sleeps. She loses the kind gentleman who travels with her on her trip to America to meet her adoptive parents, and once she is part of this new family, she loses the right to her feelings, thinking logically, choosing her religion and even choosing who she will marry.
She faces racism outside and inside her home and learns to be ashamed of not being a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl. It is her own daughter, who she seeks to protect, who gives her the strength to break out, but not necessary break free. Elizabeth Kim
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
View all my reviews
Ten Thousand Sorrows : The Extraordinary Journey of a Korean War Orphan by Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim presents a mirror for us to judge how we treat each other, how Christian communities and families can become oppressive and thrust horrendous expectations on women to obey, to accept their lot and be grateful for the accompany suffering. After experiencing multiple losses, many with an undercurrent of racism, Kim’s life lingers in depression. She stands on the threshold of suicide and must decide if she values life.Loss is a consistent theme that threads its way through Elizabeth Kim’s writing. As a toddler, she loses her mother, she loses her home and rails against the missionary run orphanage that houses her. She loses her crib mate who dies while she sleeps. She loses the kind gentleman who travels with her on her trip to America to meet her adoptive parents, and once she is part of this new family, she loses the right to her feelings, thinking logically, choosing her religion and even choosing who she will marry.
She faces racism outside and inside her home and learns to be ashamed of not being a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl. It is her own daughter, who she seeks to protect, who gives her the strength to break out, but not necessary break free. Elizabeth Kim
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
View all my reviews
