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Lucky Girl – Book Review
Lucky Girl by Mei-Ling Hopgood
When’s the last time you read a memoir about someone who just has an interesting story? Someone whose life was not screwed up by tragic illness, crazy parents, or drug addiction? *Waits* Okay, it has been awhile for me too. Now, I like many of those memoirs, but they can get to be too much. Sometimes you need a break from the scope of human tragedy, especially if that tragedy devolves into ‘why me?’ complaining and blame passing. “Lucky Girl” is, in my opinion, a cure for those who have over-indulged in the tragic/victim memoir.
Mei-Ling Hopgood was born in Taiwan in the 1970s and adopted by an American couple in Michigan. A few years later, their family was enlarged by first one than another young boy adopted from Korea. Despite not having a large Asian-American community in their immediate vicinity, Mei-Ling and her brothers grew up remarkably well-adjusted. They loved their parents, got along well as a family, and never really dwelt on their birth families.
After reconnecting with the nun who made her adoption possible, Mei-Ling decides to go ahead and make an inquiry about her birth family at the hospital in which she was born. Imagine her surprise when she discovers her birth family has been looking for her for years and when she begins getting calls from her sisters, along with offers from her father to fly her to Taiwan to meet them and celebrate New Years with them. Mei-Ling has a bit of a wild ride in meeting her birth family, with her submissive mother, domineering (and son-obsessed) father, and her numerous sisters dying to both get to know and shield her from family secrets.
I really enjoyed “Lucky Girl.” For one thing, it was fascinating watching Mei-Ling so successfully bridge two cultures. Part of that is the fact that her parents, although Anglo, were conscientious about raising her and her brothers with as much of their birth cultures as possible. Part of it was also simply Mei-Ling’s attitude. Yes, she wanted to learn more about her birth family, yes it was often very difficult dealing with this family who agreed to let her go so many years ago, yes she had tragedy in her life in both families. Never, though, did she seem to find herself a victim of her circumstances. She might feel pain and sadness, but she was always looking to make things work, or to figure out what was necessary for her own well-being and sanity.
I would definitely recommend “Lucky Girl” for those interested in Taiwan, adoption, bridging of cultures, or for those who simply need the antidote to the ‘what a tragedy’ memoir.
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Your review is making me move this one up!
Julie P.’s last blog post..Review: Savvy
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I have a friend that just adopted a baby girl from China. She would probably be interested in this read, as well as myself! Great review!
Sandy’s last blog post..Monday Movie Meme – Some Like it HOT
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Never heard of this one but it sounds great!!
Ti’s last blog post..You’ve Won The Laws of Harmony (and a Pashmina)!
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It’s not a “tragic book”, so to speak, but it does contain its fair share OF tragedy.
It is impossible to escape sadness & confusion within an adoption memoir from the perspective of an adoptee who has gone back.
“Sometimes you need a break from the scope of human tragedy, especially if that tragedy devolves into ‘why me?’ complaining and blame passing.”
I agree. But if one does not learn to question their past and ask what led to it, then one can never learn and absorb the consequences – even from good intentions. I didn’t like the title, still don’t actually even after having read the book. But it’s her memoir and I can completely understand and even agree as to why she chose that title.
The issue I have with the title is that it sets the reader up in a certain mindset. What’s wrong with that? Well, the words “lucky girl” already influence the reader to have an idea of what the memoir will be about and read it through on that judgment. And I don’t think that’s always a wise idea. http://harlowmonkey.typepad.com/harlows_monkey/2009/04/links.html
Mei-Ling’s last blog post..Psychologically Dead
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I love books like this – thanks for the review!
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This one sounds like a winner!
Chris@bookarama’s last blog post..A Couple of Awards- Thanks!
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This sounds interesting — and it is a new to me title. I’ll have to keep it in mind.
Beth F’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday (April 29)
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I was on Mei-Ling’s beat when she was a reporter at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in the 1990s and knew the beginning of the story which she wrote about after making her first visit to Taiwan. It is fun to see how the story has developed, become more complicated.The foibles of complicated family relationships eventually lead to a more sobering understanding of life and relationships after that first joyous reunion now more than a decade ago.
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This sounds like a good one! I heard of another “happy childhood” memoir this week called Twenty Chickens for a Saddle. I haven’t read it yet, but it looks good too.
Heather J.’s last blog post..What’s On My Nightstand? … the April ‘09 edition
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Yep, “interesting story” memoirs must not be selling very well nowadays or something… this sounds pretty neat though!
Ladytink_534’s last blog post..My First Author Interview!
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I get burned out on all the memoirs that are only about tragedy and mayhem too. I’ll look this one up for when I need a change of pace.
Melissa – Shhh I’m Reading’s last blog post..Review: Breakneck by Erica Spindler
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