Rating: 
Summary: A Poignant, Remarkable Book!
Review: After reading this book from cover to cover I realized I was shaking. Written in their own words-the book conveys the heartwrenching decisions these birthmothers must face. As a Korean adoptee who is just beginning to search for my birthfamily this book not only opened my heart, but also my eyes to the social stigma in Korean and the reasons so many of these women relinquish their children. It does not offer all the answers to the many questions surrounding adoption, but it does offer a captivating look at adoption from the birthmother's perspective. I recommend this book to anyone touched by adoption whether international or domestic, especially couples contemplating adoption, adoptive parents and older adoptees. It is a powerful and compelling glimpse into a side of adoption often overlooked. This is definitely not a book to pass up.
Rating:
Summary: Moving and Powerful
Review: As a birthmom whose infant son is in an open adoption, my heart cried out when I read this book. These Korean birthmothers are half a world away, in a very different society, and yet they share all the emotions I did when it came time to relinquish my child. The pain of entrusting a child to adoption is like no other. This book helps explain the immensity of that pain.
Rating:
Summary: This is what birthmother's pain is really like.
Review: As a birthmom whose infant son is in an open adoption, my heart cried out when I read this book. These Korean birthmothers are half a world away, in a very different society, and yet they share all the emotions I did when it came time to relinquish my child. The pain of entrusting a child to adoption is like no other. This book helps explain the immensity of that pain.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome book for anyone in an adoption situation!
Review: As a Korean adopted person, I was so moved by this book of letters. It was great to know how some of these mothers felt about giving up their children. I hope one of those mothers was mine! I highly recommend this book! email me if you have any questions. Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome book for anyone in an adoption situation!
Review: As a Korean adopted person, I was so moved by this book of letters. It was great to know how some of these mothers felt about giving up their children. I hope one of those mothers was mine! I highly recommend this book! email me if you have any questions. Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: A compassionate portrayal of Korean birth mothers
Review: As an adoptive mother of a Korean daughter, I have heard many people ask, "How can those mothers 'give up their children'?" The letters collected for this book have been written by Korean mothers who loved their children so much as to offer their children a loving and supportive environment. These women did not "give up their children." They made a difficult, compassionate, loving decision for their children. This collection of letters is a helpful resource for answering the questions of inquisitive, less than polite, friends, acquaintances and even family members. Even more, it has given me, the other mother of my child, a small window in which to understand her biological mother.
Rating:
Summary: A compassionate portrayal of Korean birth mothers
Review: As an adoptive mother of a Korean daughter, I have heard many people ask, "How can those mothers 'give up their children'?" The letters collected for this book have been written by Korean mothers who loved their children so much as to offer their children a loving and supportive environment. These women did not "give up their children." They made a difficult, compassionate, loving decision for their children. This collection of letters is a helpful resource for answering the questions of inquisitive, less than polite, friends, acquaintances and even family members. Even more, it has given me, the other mother of my child, a small window in which to understand her biological mother.
Rating:
Summary: I Wish for You a Beautiful Life
Review: First of all, translating words from Korean to English Language is difficult. Thus, there is a lot loss from the cross-cultural translation. I agree with Kim Young's comments. After reading this book, I felt there was a lack of personal touch. There were couple profound stories. The majority of the birth mothers and FATHERS in this story made irresponsible CHOICES. They have to live with this emptiness: "The feeling of missing you(p.89)?" "My baby...I can't stop crying while writing this letter because the image of your little body haunts my mind. I miss you so much (p.91)." The birthparents, adoptee, and adoptive parents may all be in a lose-lose situation in some cases. The birthparents, if they choose to live this choice will have difficult times. Adoptees have to live with many unanswered questions, abandonment issues, etc...The adoptive parents are not guaranteed a "obedient" child who will fulfill their WESTERN expectations. Hopefully, there are strong relationship between the ADOPTIVE MOTHERs and adoptees. In my experience, there are low percent of adoptive mothers and adoptees who have a strong relationship. Why is it? I do not know the answer to this question. I just hope that Ae Ran Won staff (planting love) are educating and informing birth mothers about the ramifications and consequences for adoptees. The birth mothers at Ae Ran Won need to educate others before they make MISTAKES. Lastly, I would like to end with quoting one of the mothers: "Isn't it good to have wonderful parents who love you as I do" I hope that is the case for everyone, but in reality that is not true.
Rating: 
Summary: Raising a baby has greater meaning than giving birth to baby
Review: First of all, translating words from Korean to English Language is difficult. Thus, there is a lot loss from the cross-cultural translation. I agree with Kim Young's comments. After reading this book, I felt there was a lack of personal touch. There were couple profound stories. The majority of the birth mothers and FATHERS in this story made irresponsible CHOICES. They have to live with this emptiness: "The feeling of missing you(p.89)?" "My baby...I can't stop crying while writing this letter because the image of your little body haunts my mind. I miss you so much (p.91)." The birthparents, adoptee, and adoptive parents may all be in a lose-lose situation in some cases. The birthparents, if they choose to live this choice will have difficult times. Adoptees have to live with many unanswered questions, abandonment issues, etc...The adoptive parents are not guaranteed a "obedient" child who will fulfill their WESTERN expectations. Hopefully, there are strong relationship between the ADOPTIVE MOTHERs and adoptees. In my experience, there are low percent of adoptive mothers and adoptees who have a strong relationship. Why is it? I do not know the answer to this question. I just hope that Ae Ran Won staff (planting love) are educating and informing birth mothers about the ramifications and consequences for adoptees. The birth mothers at Ae Ran Won need to educate others before they make MISTAKES. Lastly, I would like to end with quoting one of the mothers: "Isn't it good to have wonderful parents who love you as I do" I hope that is the case for everyone, but in reality that is not true.
Rating:
Summary: Loss is universal
Review: First of all, you would have had to have lost a child to feel the true meaning of this book. This is a rare glimpse of the silent voices everyone has an opinion on. Here, the soft agony of a mother's soul - whether she is a mother for a day or for decades - is given a rare place in print. We hear much about morality regarding out of marriage births; funny how all we hear from the mother's in this book is the love they never got a chance to give.
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