Ten Thousand Sorrows: The Extraordinary Journey of a Korean War Orphan

Elizabeth Kim is an absolutely superb writer who can bring her own memories to life for the rest of the world. I was moved beyond words through the reading of Ten Thousand Sorrows - her writing made me feel her pain, anguish and shame through life. Her words came alive and I felt every disappointment and blow as if I was that little girl. Her story becomes quite inspiring after all the things she has risen above to succeed in this world. This book was also quite cathartic for me as it made me recall wonderful memories of my own mother, who I still miss painfully with every breathing moment of my life. No matter how one loses a mother, Kim's novel reminds you of things past that you probably would not have otherwise. Not only is this a womderfully sad and poignent story, it also helps one analyze their own relationships. I began the book with tears streaming down my face and I finished with the same results. I have never read a book that has touched me so deeply and I invite everyone to enjoy this wonderful experience. I cannot even begin to describe this fabulous gift that she has given me with her words. Many, many thanks to Elizabeth Kim for sharing her story with the rest of the world.

Elizabeth Kim's wrenching and poetic story about the death of her Korean mother and her adoption into a fundamentalist American family is an important part of the whole picture of inter-cultural Asian-American adoption currently emerging in several books. Another book on the topic, which fills in a different part of the picture, is Karin Evans' Lost Daughters of China, which is also beautifully written. I think anyone interested in Ms. Kim's book would be interested in this book as well.

Elizabeth Kim's book is really a tribute to motherhood. The memory of her mother and her mother's love for her are what sustain her through her childhood and early adulthood. Her own motherhood is what sustains her, rescues her, and saves her life over and over again as she creates her own adulthood. I loved this book. Every word is perfectly chosen. Every scene is deeply etched into my memory. I read it two weeks ago, and still think about this extraordinary woman every day. And I think about her mother, too. And mine. I thank Elizabeth Kim for writing such a beautiful tribute to the unique and magnificent power of motherhood.

I started this book at 10:30pm thinking I would read a chapter before going to bed, and ended up finishing it at 3:30am. A testiment to the cruelty and inhumanity in the world, but also to the human will to survive, overcome and carve out love in one's life.

This is a beautiful book! Elizabeth Kim is an exceptional person. She suffers through so many trials in her life and still seems to be a well adjusted person at the end. The last page of this book is stunning in its simplicity and power. I highly recommend this book for adoptive parents. It affords the rare opportunity to get inside the mind of an adopted child and understand how the changes they must endure affect them. I just wanted to find Elizabeth the child, give her a hug and tell her that there are good people in the world and people who could love and appreciate her. In the end she knows that. Just a great book.