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Wish You Happy Forever

What China's Orphans Taught Me About Moving Mountains
bibliotechnocrat
May 31, 2014bibliotechnocrat rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A great read. In the process of adopting a Chinese orphan, Californian filmmaker, Jenny Bowen, discovers the terrible conditions these children were growing up in. Tiny kids tied to potty chairs all day, with no stimulation, no physical contact with caregivers, scarring punishments for infractions.... Bowen decided she had to do something about these kids and set out to make a difference. And make a difference she has. She and her husband launched a non-profit called Half the Sky, dedicated to transforming the circumstances of abandoned Chinese babies. This unlikely memoir charts the transformation sparked by their initiative. But imagine a Chinese national coming to Canada and setting up programs in our group homes or orphanages. At best, we'd ignore such audacity; at worst we'd arrest and deport. So how did an American transform Chinese institutional child care? The fragile dance Bowen and her cohorts conduct in order to fly under the radar and affect change makes for compelling reading. Well worth your time.