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Kim; A Gift from Vietnam
True story of a couple's quest to adopt a Vietnamese orphan and the hurdles, red-tape and health issues they encountered.
- GenresNonfiction
189 pages
First published January 1, 1969
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 8, 2015
I read the original title to this book back in 1980.
I enjoyed this book for numerous reasons of my own, but I also was deeply touched regarding the fact of this loving couple, already with a child of their own, desired to adopt someone from another nation, especially a place as Vietnam. I thought it was touching due to the fact, besides the formerly mentioned, by manner in which this child, after being flown back to the United States with her new adoptive parents, the automatic noticing of her condition; namely how her hair "smells." The manner, later on, of how this sweet child threw emotional "fits," and appeared to cause myself as the reader, to wonder what was to befall her future, as well as her unsure present. The vivid descriptions of how she screamed and tossed herself around the living room and practically threw the curtains off the rods and frightened the woman who was presently watching her, like in other descriptive scenes in which the author depicted so graphically.
I loved how her adoptive brother enjoyed Kim's presence after a certain amount of time, but the emotional feel of this book was obviously fueled by love and highly intrusive concern, which was wonderful to me, especially as a Buddhist Lama Rimpoche. The book's beginning foretold me, even back then when I first read it in 1980 at the age of almost fourteen, that, although there still existed much controversies about Asian nations like Vietnam, redundantly because of the recent ending of the Vietnam war, as well as earlier with Korea. The continuous trails of figurative "red tape" whenever regarding the adoption of someone from a foreign country.
Getting back to the emotional side to this book, which was very well documented and explained in explicit detail, how much the parents struggled with the assimilation of this beautiful little girl from Vietnam. Eventually she forgot her native language, although at the time of her adoption she was an infant or toddler, which was seen when a representative briefly entered her new home with the American family who lovingly cared for her, and he spoke her original language, and she did not know a word of it; Kim was a toddler when she was adopted. She merely turned her head and faced her parents in complete misunderstanding and bewilderment in reaction to this event. This struck a chord of sadness within me, because she was a child now belonging to two different worlds, two cultures that became an internal conflict to emerge within myself as I read this wonderful book of highly acclaimed insights and factual truths. It was certainly a book that deals specifically with foreign affairs, but how we are all actually tied together as one people, under one God, but given the illusion of difference.
"Kim; A Gift From Vietnam" was a wonderful read, which obviously I have never once forgotten its contents. I was certainly touched as said in the beginning, about the graphic scenes of how Kim, as a small child still in her single years and very much out of touch with this culture and its customs quite yet, and how some of these mentioned explicit scenes certainly made me feel uneasy and even afraid. Meaning, by manner in the department store how she once again "flipped out," screaming and kicking all around by manner of her seemingly evident emotional problem that appeared to me at that time of only the age of thirteen, to be escalating into a fearful prelude of an issue that just could not be understood, as was described by the author as well. However, I was happy when later these said problems were abating themselves into a contented oblivion into nothingness. I enjoyed the black and white photos of Kim and her adoptive family. Although I cannot remember how the book ended, because of it being read by me so long ago, but it touched deeply me nonetheless.
I enjoyed reading this book very much, and I wish more people read this same book to gather more insights into the lives of people and, especially where the nonfictional tale deals specifically with issues of the humanistic as this same book appeared to be a silent form of edict in itself, as this growing child was the model of revealing a specific truth that people can change if they want to hard enough. [with the right help and caring.] The inner disciplines which were revealed throughout the fulfilling words written in this book certainly told me about things which I already knew, but in addition, myself as the reader, even at the age of thirteen in 1980, and a novice in my Buddhist training, and began high school, my already long opened mind and heart certainly understood the hidden complexities loitering deeply within this book. I enjoyed the fact of it revolving around love as earlier said, as well as the desire to share this same love with someone from an impoverished land and terribly discredited people who more than obviously contain a high sense of awareness and spirituality as myself. The outreaching and desire to know others and to equally grant them a chance to live a better life, as well as to open one's heart and to give someone of no privilege a form of understanding, that even to me at that specific time, there possessed for me the same exact situation, hence I already withheld the necessary tools that equipped me to understand all contents therein.
I give this book, although was read by me a along time ago, a THUMB'S UP. A very heart touching book that was depthful as it was mind opening, but irked a definite uneasiness whenever it should entail something bendictive of her emotions, which seemed to later become self limiting. I would easily recommend this book to anyone, especially if one is interested in Vietnam, and the world wide adoption process when it comes to wanting to claim a child of their own from another part of the world, although some laws have changed by now. A wonderful read of factual truth, and of humanity, as it was explicitly told as well as revealed.
Yes...REVEALED.
Her Holiness;
The Most Venerable Lama Rimpoche,
Miss Prof. Milkweed L. Augustine PhD, DD
author of 14 books
[artist, pacifist leader, religious leader, author]
I enjoyed this book for numerous reasons of my own, but I also was deeply touched regarding the fact of this loving couple, already with a child of their own, desired to adopt someone from another nation, especially a place as Vietnam. I thought it was touching due to the fact, besides the formerly mentioned, by manner in which this child, after being flown back to the United States with her new adoptive parents, the automatic noticing of her condition; namely how her hair "smells." The manner, later on, of how this sweet child threw emotional "fits," and appeared to cause myself as the reader, to wonder what was to befall her future, as well as her unsure present. The vivid descriptions of how she screamed and tossed herself around the living room and practically threw the curtains off the rods and frightened the woman who was presently watching her, like in other descriptive scenes in which the author depicted so graphically.
I loved how her adoptive brother enjoyed Kim's presence after a certain amount of time, but the emotional feel of this book was obviously fueled by love and highly intrusive concern, which was wonderful to me, especially as a Buddhist Lama Rimpoche. The book's beginning foretold me, even back then when I first read it in 1980 at the age of almost fourteen, that, although there still existed much controversies about Asian nations like Vietnam, redundantly because of the recent ending of the Vietnam war, as well as earlier with Korea. The continuous trails of figurative "red tape" whenever regarding the adoption of someone from a foreign country.
Getting back to the emotional side to this book, which was very well documented and explained in explicit detail, how much the parents struggled with the assimilation of this beautiful little girl from Vietnam. Eventually she forgot her native language, although at the time of her adoption she was an infant or toddler, which was seen when a representative briefly entered her new home with the American family who lovingly cared for her, and he spoke her original language, and she did not know a word of it; Kim was a toddler when she was adopted. She merely turned her head and faced her parents in complete misunderstanding and bewilderment in reaction to this event. This struck a chord of sadness within me, because she was a child now belonging to two different worlds, two cultures that became an internal conflict to emerge within myself as I read this wonderful book of highly acclaimed insights and factual truths. It was certainly a book that deals specifically with foreign affairs, but how we are all actually tied together as one people, under one God, but given the illusion of difference.
"Kim; A Gift From Vietnam" was a wonderful read, which obviously I have never once forgotten its contents. I was certainly touched as said in the beginning, about the graphic scenes of how Kim, as a small child still in her single years and very much out of touch with this culture and its customs quite yet, and how some of these mentioned explicit scenes certainly made me feel uneasy and even afraid. Meaning, by manner in the department store how she once again "flipped out," screaming and kicking all around by manner of her seemingly evident emotional problem that appeared to me at that time of only the age of thirteen, to be escalating into a fearful prelude of an issue that just could not be understood, as was described by the author as well. However, I was happy when later these said problems were abating themselves into a contented oblivion into nothingness. I enjoyed the black and white photos of Kim and her adoptive family. Although I cannot remember how the book ended, because of it being read by me so long ago, but it touched deeply me nonetheless.
I enjoyed reading this book very much, and I wish more people read this same book to gather more insights into the lives of people and, especially where the nonfictional tale deals specifically with issues of the humanistic as this same book appeared to be a silent form of edict in itself, as this growing child was the model of revealing a specific truth that people can change if they want to hard enough. [with the right help and caring.] The inner disciplines which were revealed throughout the fulfilling words written in this book certainly told me about things which I already knew, but in addition, myself as the reader, even at the age of thirteen in 1980, and a novice in my Buddhist training, and began high school, my already long opened mind and heart certainly understood the hidden complexities loitering deeply within this book. I enjoyed the fact of it revolving around love as earlier said, as well as the desire to share this same love with someone from an impoverished land and terribly discredited people who more than obviously contain a high sense of awareness and spirituality as myself. The outreaching and desire to know others and to equally grant them a chance to live a better life, as well as to open one's heart and to give someone of no privilege a form of understanding, that even to me at that specific time, there possessed for me the same exact situation, hence I already withheld the necessary tools that equipped me to understand all contents therein.
I give this book, although was read by me a along time ago, a THUMB'S UP. A very heart touching book that was depthful as it was mind opening, but irked a definite uneasiness whenever it should entail something bendictive of her emotions, which seemed to later become self limiting. I would easily recommend this book to anyone, especially if one is interested in Vietnam, and the world wide adoption process when it comes to wanting to claim a child of their own from another part of the world, although some laws have changed by now. A wonderful read of factual truth, and of humanity, as it was explicitly told as well as revealed.
Yes...REVEALED.
Her Holiness;
The Most Venerable Lama Rimpoche,
Miss Prof. Milkweed L. Augustine PhD, DD
author of 14 books
[artist, pacifist leader, religious leader, author]
March 17, 2018
Wonderful, wonderful book. I read this sooooo many times when I was very young at my grandparents house. It was in one of the Readers Digest books and I always dug it out when I stayed there. I purchased it a few years ago and finally decided to read it again. Just as magical as when I first read it.
August 19, 2020
Kim is a heartwarming story of a family who decided to adopt a child during the height of the Vietnam War from Vitetnam. The father, Frank Chinnock. was a journalist and had heard heartbreaking tales of what the orphans there were enduring. So he went over there to find a child who he just knew would be a good fit for their family, but did not realize all of the difficult challenges or the long wait that would be in store for them. After Kim finally arrives, a whole new set of challenges begin, beyond the language barrier, including health, emotional and mental difficulties, but Kim proves to be a bit stronger than anybody had expected and soon was flourishing. Very touching!
August 30, 2016
I read this book as a teenager in the early 70s. It obviously left a lasting impression on me, as I, too, adopted a Vietnamese daughter years later when the mixed-race (Vietnamese mothers, American soldier fathers) children were being removed from the country for their own safety. What a blessing this book was, as it brought me to my lovely daughter!
April 9, 2015
Sometimes an idea and perseverance are needed to accomplish a goal. The adoption of Kim, a Vietnamese child, years before these adoptions were wildly accepted, is a wonderful story. I'd love to know where she lives today.
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June 9, 2013I read this book when I was a teenager. Loved it, found a used copy and read it again. It was written in the 1970s, I think, but how this family handled the adoption was just heartwarming. :)
August 12, 2010
good writing a true story
May 12, 2020
Great story of adopting a child from Vietnam. Although a bit dated (with references to "orientals"), it was a sweet story.
August 23, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this autobiographical story of a family that adopted a young Vietnamese orphan in 1968...right in the heat of the war. It was told with such honesty and warmth that I looked up the author to find out more about the family. Sadly, I did not find much, but, on a whim, I searched for Kim on Facebook; and she was there showing her beautiful family, children, and brothers. She is beautiful and healthy as is her family. That really made me happy!
November 12, 2020
Read the condensed version in a Reader's Digest book... From what little I have read, it proved to be an extremely poignant and heart-touching memoir. I almos cried at the end, and that's coming from a person who is not sentimental at all. Kim also helps to break certain stereotypes about adoption, and shows how love can completely transform a small child's life.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews