The Red Thread

An amazing story by Ann Hood

"In China there is a belief that people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. Who is at the end of your red thread?"

The Red Thread is a wonderfully written novel chronicling the lives of five couples, along with the adoption agency director, as they go through the process of adopting a baby girl from China. We see their high points.and low points; their excitement.and their jitters. Fraught with emotion, Ann Hood puts a spell on the reader and she seamlessly moves us through the families' stories, from their initial meeting, to the home study, to the paperwork, to the months and months of waiting to hear from the Chinese government, and finally to the trip to China to pick up the babies. Through each section of the story, we get the adoption director, Maya's, point of view, as well as the perspective of each family as they struggle with the emotional upheaval that the process brings onto them.

Maya comes with her own set of demons and it is agonizing to read her inner turmoil and how she is haunted by a freak accident that resulted in the death of her infant daughter. It destroyed her and it destroyed her marriage. Through this book, Maya does begin to heal, but she is very tentative and does not want to get emotionally involved with anyone, for fear of losing them, too. I enjoyed reading about Maya's journey and how through her work as an adoption agency director, she is able to begin the healing process.

One of the best parts of the book are the stories of the Chinese mothers and fathers who are forced to give up their baby girls. China has very strict laws about having one child, with the male child being the most desirable. If a family has a daughter first, they are allowed to try for a son, but if a second girl is born, there are strict punishments on those families. Thus, many women are forced to give up their little girls - leaving them in parks, on police station steps, or at orphanage doors - in order to avoid punishment. It is utterly heartbreaking and I cannot imagine the pain that these families must endure, hoping that their children end up in good homes. I truly loved reading their stories and it added so much depth to the novel.

I love the magical theory of the "red thread", that people are destined to be together. I believe in fate and destiny and I loved reading about the invisible "red thread" that brought the American families and their abandoned Chinese daughters together. It truly was pure magic.

I thoroughly loved this book and I would highly recommend it. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would - that's how much I loved it.

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The Red Thread

Ann Hood has always been a favorite of mine and so I had to get her newest book the day it came out. I was not disappointed. Maya runs an adoption agency called The Red Thread matching families with Chinese baby girls that have been abandoned by their families. In alternating voices we share the histories of the prospective families, the stories that led to the abandonment of each child and also Maya's secret which stands in the way of her own happiness. This story is especially poignant knowing that the author lost her daughter to a sudden illness at a very young age and adopted from China herself. The Chinese believe a red thread connects us from birth to the people we should be with. Read it and see if you agree.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Intertwined stories

The story of chinese mothers broke my heart.

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Very goof and heart felt

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An invisible thread binds all who are meant to be our family

When I read Jennifer Grant's reference to a red thread connecting her to their then unknown adoptive child, I immediately remembered this book I read two years ago. Red Thread, named after the Chinese belief that we are tied by an invisible thread to all who will become important in our lives, is Ann Hood's novel centers around an adoption agency which specializes in Chinese adoptions. Six adoptive families seek Maya Lange and her Red Thread Agency's expertise in successful overseas adoptions. Chapters alternate between revelations about what has brought each couple to their decisions to adopt and emotional glimpses into the lives of six Chinese birth mothers. The differences between cultures will at time be jarring, even upsetting, but I guarantee you will better understand the painful decisions made by each mother. And for the six babies in this book, new opportunities to be loved and cherished await them. And as the day approaches when each family will be "born," you will learn more about Maya Lange and her secret heartache.
I have to confess that although I remembered this book instantly when I reread the phrase "red thread" in Jennifer Grant's book, I did not recall too many details about the book. I did remember a strong emotional reaction to the story, a better understanding of reasons foreign children might be abandoned, and a strong woman who told the story. But in fact, I could not remember whether the story was fiction or nonfiction. In a way I believe that is a compliment to author Ann Hood; two years after reading her book I still had such an emotional response that I thought momentarily that Maya Lange was a real person. I am a strong proponent that well written fiction can help us examine some of our most serious topics and The Red Thread is that kind of fiction.

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An entertaining, quick read

The Red Thread is the story of Americans adopting baby girls from China told from both sides. So as the American families are moving towards the decision to adopt, we also see the Chinese mothers moving towards giving their daughters up. I liked the plot device, its an interesting concept that I haven't seen done before. The central character of the story is Maya, the owner of the adoption agency connecting the two worlds.

Unfortunately I found the development of both the plot and the characters to be a bit superficial and lacking. She could have done so many intriguing things with this story, but most of it is predictable and one-dimensional. Its still an entertaining, quick read, just not as deep as I had hoped.

The audio version of The Red Thread is read by Hillary Huber. She a smooth, pleasant voice and does a fine job with the narration. Some of the raw, intense emotion doesn't come through, but that may have been more a fault of the writer than of the reader.

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