Mikhail Rodricks Rodricks itibaren Serebryanytsya, Volyns'ka oblast, Ukrayna itibaren Serebryanytsya, Volyns'ka oblast, Ukrayna

Unexpected and very enjoyable. I'm quite certain there were many literary references that went right over my ignorant head, but the story was still engaging.

** spoiler alert ** Lucky Girl, by Mei-Ling Hopgood, was an exploration into the Chinese culture. The writing at times seemed a bit scattered, but scattered or not, it was written well and with nearly palpable feeling. Mei-Ling was given up for adoption just after she was born. As the sixth of seven girls (her younger sister was also given up for adoption) born into a culture that favors male heirs, Mei-Ling was adopted out to a middle-class Michigan couple who loved her as their own. The Hopgoods also eventually adopted two boys from Korea to help complete their multicultural family. Mei-Ling grows up knowing she is adopted and sometimes struggling to find her identity in a sea of white, but always enjoying her American lifestyle. In her early 20s, she takes the opportunity to travel and meet her biological family, and chaos ensues. Her sisters welcome her into the brood and she learns more about the Chinese culture than she has ever known before. Hopgood speaks of her struggles in the simple things, like communicating, which is ironic because people in the United States assume she can speak Mandarin because of the way she looks. Through many visits with her family, she learns the details of her past and the family secrets her sisters have tried to keep from her. In the end, she realizes just how lucky of a girl she is for having been adopted by her parents. I enjoyed this book, even though it wasn't something I would have picked up for myself. If memoirs interest you, this one is definitely worth reading. P.S. I received an advance reading copy of this book through a Goodreads First Reads book giveaway.