Author: Carole Antoinette Peacock
Enjoyment Rating: ****
This book would be rated: G
Source: Personal copy
Books I've read this year: 129
When Wen was eleven, it was finally her turn to be adopted. Her new family traveled all the way from Boston to China to come get her. It should have been the happiest day of her life, and probably would have been if it weren't for the knowledge that she was leaving her best friend, Shu Ling, behind at the orphanage.
Carole Antoinette Peacock's new novel, Red Thread Sisters, manages to fictionalize the experience of an older adoptee from China while staying (mostly) true to the timelines and facts of how the adoption process works. When Wen arrives in Boston, she starts on a mission, first to convince her new family that they should adopt Shu Ling, and then to make sure that she makes good on her promise to bring her best friend to America before she turns fourteen and "ages out" of adoption eligibility.
Peacock's writing is good and she has clearly done her research. After I finished the book, I gave it to my ten-year-old to read, and she was a little bit disappointed that Shu Ling and Wen did not end up as "real sisters." But I think that was fitting-- it felt more realistic and less like a fairy tale the way Peacock wrote the story. All in all, I think it's a great addition to YA books in general and to books about adoption in particular.
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