Her birthmother ma sits quietly beside her, unable to say a word in english. She had a happy childhood, with two adopted boys from south korea as playmates and adoring parents, and. In a true story of family ties, journalist mei ling hopgood, one of the first wave of asian adoptees to arrive in america, comes face to face with her past when her chinese birth family suddenly requests a reunion after more than two decades. She talks with andrea kahn about her new memoir, lucky girl. Lucky girl by hopgood, mei ling in a true story of family ties, journalist meiling hopgood, one of the first wave of asian adoptees to arrive in america, comes face to face with her past when her chinese birth family suddenly requests a reunion after more than two decades. Mei ling hopgood was adopted by an american couple when she was a baby. Mei ling hopgood had an allamerican upbringing, never really identifying with her asian roots or harboring a desire to uncover her ancestry. Hopgood also looks within as she grapples with the conflicting emotions of a child given up by her parents. Paced just right to keep you reading, the taiwaneseborn hopgood reveals a remarkable story of her midwest adoption to a loving, nurturing family and her reunion more than two decades. Mei ling is 37yearold journalist living in buenos aires with her husband and adorable daughter.
Meiling is 37yearold journalist living in buenos aires with her husband and adorable daughter. Meiling hopgood, author of lucky girl taiwaneseborn meiling hopgood was adopted by an american couple when she was just a baby. The girl was given the name meiling maureens chinese name. And other adventures in parenting from argentina to tanzania and everywhere in between. She lives in buenos aires, argentina, with her husband and two daughters. She grew up in the midwest, studied journalism at the university of missouri, and became a reporter for a michigan newspaper. For meiling hopgood, selfprofessed lucky girl, it seems less about being told than about arriving at the conclusion herself. In a true story of family ties, journalist meiling hopgood, one of the first. Lucky girl by mei ling hopgood overview in a true story of family ties, journalist mei ling hopgood, one of the first wave of asian adoptees to arrive in america, comes face to face with her past when her chinese birth family suddenly requests a reunion after more than two decades. Jul 09, 2010 lucky girl by meiling hopgood publisher. Lucky girl by meiling hopgood adoptee reading resource interview. She is a freelance journalist and writer who has written for various publications, ranging from the national geographic traveler and marie claire to the miami herald and the boston globe. This acclaimed book by meiling hopgood is available at in several formats for your ereader. Definitely of the you cant make this stuff upgenre, journalist meiling hopgoods debut memoir is one lucky surprise after another.
In a true story of family ties, journalist mei ling hopgood, one of the. In 1974, a baby girl from taiwan arrived in america, the newly adopted. In 1974, a baby girl from taiwan arrived in america, the newly adopted child of a loving couple in. Meiling hopgoods memoir lucky girl is a riveting read examining the authors complex family tree, from her biological chinese parents who gave her up for adoption to her middleclass michigan parents who loved her unconditionally. Jun 22, 2009 for meiling hopgood, selfprofessed lucky girl, it seems less about being told than about arriving at the conclusion herself. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading lucky girl. She was adopted as an infant from taiwan by a white couple living in michigan. In her book, meiling really is doing the same thing from a parents point of view. Explore the world of parenting with meiling hopgood share this article. Meiling hopgood is an awardwinning journalist who has reported on cops, diversity, the pentagon, transportation, spelling bees, and, most recently, global motherhood. The book is full of further revelations, including the fathers bringing a mistress into the house. Meiling hopgood in a true story of family ties, journalist meiling hopgood, one of the first wave of asian adoptees to arrive in america, comes face to face with her past when her chinese birth family suddenly.
March 1997, her first night in taiwan after 22 years in the united states. Lucky girl is, in my opinion, a cure for those who have overindulged in the tragicvictim memoir. A few years later, their family was enlarged by first. She never made any attempt to contact her birth family, but twenty years later, they contacted her. Lucky girl by meiling hopgood overdrive rakuten overdrive. Aug 02, 2010 saturday evening, i had the absolute good fortune to attend an event with mei ling hopgood here in austin, tx. Paced just right to keep you reading, the taiwaneseborn hopgood reveals a remarkable story of her midwest adoption to a loving.
Meiling was adopted in 1974 from taitung, in the then relatively remote southeast of taiwan, by an american couple from michigan. In a true story of family ties, journalist meiling hopgood, one of the. Hopgood was one of the first asian children adopted by americans after the korean war. Meiling hopgood bestselling fiction and nonfiction books. A firsttime mom from suburban michigan, hopgood sets out to research how cultural expectations and customs determine the way kids are raised. Meiling hopgood is the author of how eskimos keep their babies warm and lucky girl and a freelance journalist who has written for various publications, including national geographic traveler, marie claire and parenting. Meeting a lucky girl meiling hopgood robyn gobbel, lcsw. In 1974, a baby girl from taiwan arrived in america, the newly adopted child of a loving couple in michigan.
Meiling hopgood had an in 1974, a baby girl from taiwan arrived in america, the newly adopted child of a loving couple in michigan. Bookbrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of. Hopgoods newfound relatives stuff her with dumplings, laughing at her use of chopsticks. Saturday evening, i had the absolute good fortune to attend an event with meiling hopgood here in austin, tx. Her birthmother ma sits quietly beside her, unable to. One of them is meilings and seths recommendation that parents go back to some triedandtrue conclusions in global parenting. After arriving from taiwan as a baby in 1974, the author lived an allamerican life in the michigan suburbs with two adoring parents and two adopted korean brothers. She believed herself lucky to have escaped a life that was surely one of poverty and misery, to grow up in comfort with her doting parents and brothers. Meiling hopgood in a true story of family ties, journalist hopgood, one of the first wave of asian adoptees to arrive in america, comes face to face with her past when her chinese birth family suddenly requests a. Meiling hopgood was born in taiwan in the 1970s and adopted by an american couple in michigan. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Lucky girl by hopgood, mei ling in a true story of family ties, journalist mei ling hopgood, one of the first wave of asian adoptees to arrive in america, comes face to face with her past when her chinese birth family suddenly requests a reunion after more than two decades.
Jul 22, 2019 in a true story of family ties, journalist mei ling hopgood, one of the first wave of asian adoptees to arrive in america, comes face to face with her past when her chinese birth family suddenly requests a reunion after more than two decades. Hopgood lucky girl is living in buenos aires when she notices that the city including its children never sleeps. So were there certain aspects of the experience that you were able to see in a different light after writing a book about them. Read what people think about lucky girl by meiling. Jul 20, 2010 the first reaction to finishing lucky girl is lucky readers. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read how eskimos keep their babies warm. Meiling believed she was lucky to have escaped a life that was surely one of poverty and misery, to grow up in comfort with her doting parents and brothers.
Hopgood grew up thinking she had escaped a life of poverty when she was adopted by americans, but in taiwan, she learned that her birth family defied all of her assumptions. Books by meiling hopgood how eskimos keep their babies warm. She never had any real desireor made any attemptto contact her birth family, but 20 years later, they contacted her. She has worked as a reporter with the detroit free press, the st. By meiling hopgood lucky girl is meiling hopgoods memoir about traveling to taiwan to meet the birth family shed never known. Explore the world of parenting with meiling hopgood explore. Mei ling hopgood s memoir lucky girl is a riveting read examining the authors complex family tree, from her biological chinese parents who gave her up for adoption to her middleclass michigan parents who loved her unconditionally. The true story of an american womans unexpected reunion with her chinese birth family. Meiling hopgood is currently considered a single author.
Mei ling hopgood in a true story of family ties, journalist mei ling hopgood, one of the first wave of asian adoptees to arrive in america, comes face to face with her past when her chinese birth family suddenly. Lucky girl by meiling hopgood overview in a true story of family ties, journalist meiling hopgood, one of the first wave of asian adoptees to arrive in america, comes face to face with her past when her chinese birth family suddenly requests a reunion after more than two decades. Louis postdispatch and in the cox newspapers washington bureau. Lee lucky girl por meiling hopgood disponible en rakuten kobo. The first reaction to finishing lucky girl is lucky readers. Read what people think about lucky girl by meiling hopgood. In this excerpt from her memoir, lucky girl, meiling hopgood describes her initial rejection of looking asian growing. In lucky girl, meiling hopgood describes her surreal reunion with her birth family.
Cut with historical detail and touching accounts of meilings real family, the hopgoods, lucky girl is a refreshingly upbeat take on dealing with the pressures and expectations of family, while remaining true to oneself. Mei ling hopgood is the author of how eskimos keep their babies warm and lucky girl and a freelance journalist who has written for various publications, including national geographic traveler, marie claire and parenting. Kismet was not lost on this sixth daughter of a poor taiwanese farming family, given up just after birth. Mei ling believed she was lucky to have escaped a life that was surely one of poverty and misery, to grow up in comfort with her doting parents and brothers. Simple, to the point and uncluttered of the everyday minutiae, mei ling hopgood nails the concept of becoming ones own. The rest of the book though, is about how she met her chinese.
In a true story of family ties, journalist meiling hopgood, one of the first wave of asian adoptees to arrive in america, comes face to face with her past when her chinese birth family suddenly requests a reunion after more than two decades. Meiling hopgoods lucky girl, a memoir, maps the authors journey of selfdiscovery. She believed that she was lucky to have escaped a life that was surely one of poverty and misery, to grow up comfortable with her doting parents and brothers. Lucky girl in this excerpt from her memoir, lucky girl, meiling hopgood describes her initial rejection of looking asian growing up in mostlywhite rural michigan, and how she learned to embrace her chinese heritage. In a true story of family ties, journalist meiling hopgood, one of the first wave. Meiling hopgood was adopted by an american couple when she was a baby. Read lucky girl by meiling hopgood available from rakuten kobo. Simple, to the point and uncluttered of the everyday minutiae, meiling hopgood nails the concept of becoming ones own. Mei ling hopgood is an awardwinning journalist and writer.
Meiling hopgood had an allamerican upbringing, never really identifying with her asian roots or harboring a desire to uncover her ancestry. Meiling hopgood is an associate professor in the medill school of journalism, media, integrated marketing communications at northwestern university. No comments on lucky girl meiling hopgood of the handful of taiwan adoption memoirs, the standout is lucky girl 2010 by journalist meiling hopgood. Cut with historical detail and touching accounts of mei ling s real family, the hopgoods, lucky girl is a refreshingly upbeat take on dealing with the pressures and expectations of family, while remaining true to oneself. Inuit moms with a baby mom on left wears traditional sealskin and mom on right wears caribou. Of the handful of taiwan adoption memoirs, the standout is lucky girl 2010 by journalist meiling hopgood.
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