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Forever Lily: An Unexpected Mother's Journey to Adoption in China |  |
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Forever Lily: An Unexpected Mother's Journey to Adoption in China | |
When Beth Nonte Russell travels to China to help her friend Alex adopt a baby girl from an orphanage there, she thinks it will be an adventure, a chance to see the world. But her friend, who had prepared for the adoption for many months, panics soon after being presented with the frail baby, and the situation develops into one of the greatest challenges of Russell's life.
Russell, watching in disbelief as Alex distances herself from the child, cares for the baby -- clothing, bathing, and feeding her -- and makes her feel secure in the unfamiliar surroundings. Russell is overwhelmed and disoriented by the unfolding drama and all that she sees in China, and yet amid the emotional turmoil finds herself deeply bonding with the child. She begins to have dreams of an ancient past -- dreams of a young woman who is plucked from the countryside and chosen to be empress, and of the child who is ultimately taken from her. As it becomes clear that her friend -- whose indecisiveness about the adoption has become a torment -- won't be bringing the baby home, Russell is amazed to realize that she cannot leave the baby behind and that her dreams have been telling her something significant, giving her the courage to open her heart and bring the child home against all odds.
Steeped in Chinese culture, Forever Lily is an extraordinary account of a life-changing, wholly unexpected love.
作者简介 Beth Nonte Russell received a master's degree in psychology from Marymount University and provided counseling services at a community mental health center. She lives with her husband and two daughters, Lily and Jaden, outside Washington, D.C.
媒体推荐 Mixing the realities of overseas adoption with dream sequences,
Beth Nonte Russell's "Forever Lily" tells the story of a mother's journey
to China to find a daughter she was destined to attain, against all odds.
Feature article by Andrea Kemp -- Roll Call
Told in emotional, evocative prose, Beth Russell's memoir is an
affirmation that love can be waiting where you least expect it. Her deep,
profound love for her unexpected daughter shines through every word.
Review by Ealish Waddell, special to Florida Weekly -- King Syndicate/Florida Weekly
编辑推荐 "Beth Nonte Russell is a superb storyteller, and readers will be enraptured by her faith, courage, and imagination as she discovers a new life."
-- Senator Richard G. Lugar (In-R), Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee^"Lyrically written and emotionally evocative, laced with the author's haunting dreams, Forever Lily is a precious gift for the reader, and will be deservedly remembered by all who turn its pages."
-- Jean Sasson, New York Times bestselling author of Princess
文摘 When I wake, I don't know where I am. It takes several minutes before I remember I am on my way to China, I am traveling with my friend Alex, we are going to bring home a baby. The sun is still shining, though according to my watch it is ten o'clock in the evening. We have been following the light since this morning as we have flown over the top of the world, and it has been eerie, a day with no night. We could be anywhere, it could be any time, in this moment, suspended between heaven and earth; I am flying into tomorrow, or is it yesterday?
There are still several hours before we are scheduled to land in Tokyo, and from there, we will take a three-hour flight to Beijing. I have an entire row to myself; this airplane is almost empty. Several books, all of which I am having trouble concentrating on, surround me on the seat, and the remains of a half-eaten lunch still wait to be taken away by the flight attendant. I look across the aisle and see that Alex is stretched out, sleeping. After more than a year of planning for this adoption, it must finally be starting to seem real for her; she seems distracted, withdrawn, and not in the mood to chat about the new baby or anything else.
I have spent the time on the plane trying to read, looking out at the clouds, thinking -- the things I prefer to do anyway. At some point I began to meditate, but I must have fallen asleep; there was a dream, something intense...what was it? I try hard to bring it back; I recall a structure, bathed in dream-light, and as I concentrate on this image, more details begin to emerge from the shadows of sleep. I take out my notebook and pen to record what I remember:
I am standing near a pagoda, surrounded by water. I am looking at my reflection, when suddenly another reflection merges with mine. I look up to see a young Chinese man, in some type of military or royal dress. He is standing behind me. My heart rises up in joy and yet I am also afraid. I can see that I am dresse
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