Lucky Baby

Title: LUCKY BABY
Author: Meredith Efken
Publisher: Howard Books
August 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4165-9550-2
Genre: Inspirational/contemporary

Meg Lindsay has never wanted to be a mother. After all, why would she want to be something she despised? All her life Meg’s mother had told her what a disappointment she was. And even though she tried, Meg never measured up. and the emotional bruises still hurt.

But then China started calling to Meg, and she found that she wanted to adopt a little girl from China. She knew exactly what this child would look like, would know her voice. And Meg found her, Zhen An, a girl destined to live her life in an orphanage. Her only friend was Wen Ming. Wen Ming promises Zhen An they’ll be sisters forever, but then Zhen An is ripped away from her, to go to another home in America.

Meg doesn’t know how to handle a child who resents her, blames her for stealing her from her “real home” and her “real family.” What does it take for Meg and Zhen An to find each other and discover what being a real family means?

LUCKY BABY is inspired by the story of how Meredith Efken received the gift of one of her daugthers, but it is not completely a true story. Some parts of it were real, but most of it is creative license. No matter which parts were true and which weren’t, and even the truly fantastical parts, were all woven so well together that the story flowed seamlessly, holding my interest until the end.

The story is written both in Meg’s point of view, and in Wen Ming’s point of view, though one part is written in Zhen An’s. I enjoyed most all of this story, though I did hope that Meg would find the peace she longed for with her family, and that Meg’s husband, Lewis, would see his great need.

I never truly understood what an adopted family might go through. My sister was adopted, and was treated as my sister all my life. My parents didn’t seem to go through any great struggle with her. But I do know a couple families who claim their child is emotionally damaged from the trauma of adoption, so that really opened my eyes a little, to what some families might face. Don’t miss LUCKY BABY. This is a story that will stay with you for a long time. An interview with the author and discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $13.99. 293 pages.