Beyond Two Worlds: A Taiwanese-American Adoptee’s Memoir & Search for Identity

by M.J. Huang

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Marijane was adopted by an American military family at four months old. She grew up in a middle-class neighborhood in the deep South where hers was the only Asian face among a majority of white.
Raised to believe she was Vietnamese and Japanese, she never doubted her ethnicity, until one day, she found her lost adoption papers. This discovery unloosed secrets that had been buried for decades, causing her to question her identity. With brave determination, Marijane set out on a quest to reconstruct her past and resurrect a birth heritage that had long been forsaken. Her journey took her halfway across the world to reunite with her birth family and a culture she realized she had longed for her entire life.
Beyond Two Worlds is a poignant telling of one woman’s search for identity and belonging despite insurmountable odds, and is an inspiring true story for those seeking to connect to their original families.

Genres: Adoption, Nonfiction

188 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2017

Reviews

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pages turned themselves as readers can accompany the author on her particular journey of self-discovery-all a part of the universal human quest towards connection to others and understanding. Her writing presents itself with a refreshing clarity that not only captures both the glaring and subtle differences between the East (Taiwan) and West (The United States), but also expresses the vast possibilities of life found in an orientation towards others and shared humanity.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet book written by a very sweet friend! I have the privilege of knowing Marijane. I could hardly put the book down! I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good true story, and to anyone interested in adoption, identity development, and culture.