Rating: 
Summary: A good story
Review: I had heard about 'The Waiting Child' from others who had read it. Their response was 'it was a little dark.' Having adopted an older child from China myself, I was interested in this mother's experiences. It didn't take me very long to decide that I didn't really care for the author's writing style -- sentence fragments, repetetive word usage, etc. Some of the text just didn't seem to flow. However, I was very touched by Jaclyn and her love for 'her baby'. It was a very sweet story, but I felt it could have been told more eloquently. I had a difficult time putting myself in the story because it lacked descriptive details that help pull the reader into the book. I had so many questions that never got answered. The author would often foreshadow an event or topic, but never come back to it in the book. The author did not paint a very good picture of orphanages or the Chinese people. Having been to China myself, I came away with a completely different opinion. I became somewhat dissinterested toward the middle of the book as it became very repetetive and didn't hold my interest. There were, however, some parts of the book that were very gripping and emotional. I think the editor and publisher could have worked with the author a little more to make this book outstanding. It definitely had the potential.
Rating: 
Summary: A heart-opener
Review: I hung on every word of this book. I cried the whole time because I have a Chinese daugher and am planning to adopt again. We adopted our daughter from China two years ago. The adjustment took longer than I had expected. Reading this book gave me so much insight into what her life may have been like before we met her. Having this understanding and hearing someone else say the bond wasn't necessarily love at first sight was very freeing. Even though we love each other greatly now, it allowed me to acknowledge those feelings I had at the beginning and let them go!Also, my husband and I have been considering adopting an older child from China. This book confirmed in our hearts that this is something we indeed feel led to do. I'm not saying we based our decision on one book. But along with what we've read and the people we've met, this book gave us the understanding we needed to make an informed decision. Two other great books on the topic are: A Mother's Ordeal and Lost Daughters of China. I don't think this book is a violation of her child's privacy. It is a beautiful story of the strength of the human spirit. Adoption is a frightening subject to many people. Books like this are needed to spread the word that adoption is a wonderful way to grow your family.
Rating:
Summary: Adopting from China? This is a MUST READ!
Review: I hung on every word of this book. I cried the whole time because I have a Chinese daugher and am planning to adopt again. We adopted our daughter from China two years ago. The adjustment took longer than I had expected. Reading this book gave me so much insight into what her life may have been like before we met her. Having this understanding and hearing someone else say the bond wasn't necessarily love at first sight was very freeing. Even though we love each other greatly now, it allowed me to acknowledge those feelings I had at the beginning and let them go! Also, my husband and I have been considering adopting an older child from China. This book confirmed in our hearts that this is something we indeed feel led to do. I'm not saying we based our decision on one book. But along with what we've read and the people we've met, this book gave us the understanding we needed to make an informed decision. Two other great books on the topic are: A Mother's Ordeal and Lost Daughters of China. I don't think this book is a violation of her child's privacy. It is a beautiful story of the strength of the human spirit. Adoption is a frightening subject to many people. Books like this are needed to spread the word that adoption is a wonderful way to grow your family.
Rating:
Summary: Honest and Heartwarming
Review: I just finished the book. I've recommended it to several, including one friend in the process of adopting from China and another open to the possibility of an international adoption. I'm an adoptive mom and even though the conditions of our adoptions are different, I could tell how sincere and real this book was and appreciated Champnella's honesty. The book brought tears to my eyes several times - it was definitely touching. Jaclyn and Lee's stories were told in a simple way and the stories are just so fascinating that I quickly read my way through the book. It was a wonderful journey. I feel as if I know this family.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding and a MUST-READ for anyone with a heart
Review: I loved it!!!! Bravo to Cindy and Miss Jaclyn. They bare their hearts in this story as well as their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. I couldn't put it down until it was finished and was sorry it had to end. I look forward to hearing more Jaclyn stories as she is one amazing little girl with an indomitable spirit.
Rating:
Summary: * More than you would or could hope for*
Review: I must be frank: When I skim book titles and reviews and see books about children and the words "faith" and "love" I'm inclined to pass. *Don't make that mistake.* While Champnella's book is ostensibly about adoption of the 'older' child, it is also about much, much more. And Champnella writes in a fresh, engaging style that is free from sticky-sweetness or maudlin sentimentality. "The Waiting Child" is the author's daughter's story. Adopted from an orphanage as a small child, from day one Jaclyn pleads for the family to adopt a young boy she was forced to leave behind. Her tenacity and determination are astounding, and forced the writer to confront and examine her own life and faith. This fascinating, engrossing tale has the power to stir hearts and minds. Champnella is also donating the proceeds of this book to an organization that benefits children, so you can enjoy a good read while knowing your money is well-spent. *More than you would or could hope for* refers to the book, the author's life, Jaclyn, Lee, my own life, the joy children (both bio and adopted) can bring, and the children waiting in China and elsewhere for homes. peace
Rating:
Summary: A great book!
Review: I read the book " The Waiting Child" from cover to cover. I was so fascinated by the story that I didn't want to put it down until late into the night. I was so touched by Jaclyn and her love for " her baby" Lee that I couldn't hold back my tears many times. This is a happy ending story.
Having lived in both China and USA, I can tell all the description of the adoption process in China is very true and vivid, such as the life of the children in the orphanage, Chinese officials and Cindy's trip back to America. The challenges Cindy had to face in everyday life after the adoption were also written very truthfully.
As a mother and a grandmother, I think the book should be read not only by the people who adopted children or will adopt children, but also by anyone who loves family. I even recommend it to young readers because it will touch the spirit of their hearts and make them understand better the profound love given by their parents.
Thank you Cindy for telling us the unforgettable story. Thank your sister and your brother-in-law for adopting Lee. Thank you Jaclyn for finding parents for Lee. You are all heroes.
Rating:
Summary: A real gripping story
Review: I was drawn to this story because I adopted from China. All through the read, which was a quick one, I wished to author had relayed more of her duaghter's story. I grew tired of the hearing over and over the requests for Xiao Mei Mei and the alluded to only recollections of life in the orphanage. The author states in the beginning how amazed she was that her daughter remembered so much of those years and of her birth family, yet we don't get a chance to hear that part of the story or more about the details of their trips to China. The whole decision to allow Xiao Mei Mei to be adopted by the author's sister is so glossed over and then you jump immediately to the celebration dinner where Jaclyn is told Xiao Mei Mei is coming. To little detail and much to much mush for me.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but a bit preachy
Review: I was drawn to this story because I adopted from China. All through the read, which was a quick one, I wished to author had relayed more of her duaghter's story. I grew tired of the hearing over and over the requests for Xiao Mei Mei and the alluded to only recollections of life in the orphanage. The author states in the beginning how amazed she was that her daughter remembered so much of those years and of her birth family, yet we don't get a chance to hear that part of the story or more about the details of their trips to China. The whole decision to allow Xiao Mei Mei to be adopted by the author's sister is so glossed over and then you jump immediately to the celebration dinner where Jaclyn is told Xiao Mei Mei is coming. To little detail and much to much mush for me.
Rating:
Summary: Don't read this book if you are hard-hearted
Review: International adoption has taken off, but older children aren't generally a part of the ever-increasing number of kids joining families in the USA. This book will give you reason to pause and think about the possiblity of adding an older child to your family. Cindy tells the truth about the pluses and minuses of this kind of family-building. She shares a special loving insight into the mind of a post-institutionalized child who has the heart to worry about the fate of "her baby" in China. I shared this journey vicariously with her as she posted to our "list" about her kids,... She hasn't disappointed me with her book. I am blown away by it, and only wish I were the kind of mom that she is.
| 
