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In these boldly written essays, Cheri Register, the mother of two adult
daughters adopted as infants from Korea, questions the conventional wisdom
about raising internationally adopted children, calling attention to ten
choices well-meaning parents make that turn out not to serve their children's
needs as well as one might expect. She calls for a frank and intimate
conversation about the distinct challenges of raising children adopted across
national, cultural, and, often, racial boundaries. By avoiding pat answers that
fall short of families' real needs, she affirms the hard work and loving
devotion that parenthood demands.
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Minnesota Book Award. American Book Award. A BookSense 76 pick.
A unique blend of memoir and public history,
Packinghouse Daughter tells
a compelling story of working-class life. The daughter of a Wilson & Company
millwright, Cheri Register recalls the 1959 meatpackers' strike that divided
her hometown of Albert Lea, Minnesota. The violence that erupted when the
company "replaced" its union workers with strikebreakers tested family loyalty
and community stability. Register skillfully interweaves her own memories,
historical research, and oral interviews into a narrative that is thoughtful
and impassioned about the lasting impact of social class, the value of
blue-collar work and the dignity of those who do it.
“Cheri Register’s prose turns grit into diamonds.” Jim Hightower
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Based on the author’s experience with liver disease and interviews with 25
others who are ‘interminably ill,’
The Chronic Illness Experience traces
the impact of illness on self-image, relationships, work habits and
aspirations, parenthood, spirituality, and more. It affirms the basic human
need to give life meaning no matter what hardships are imposed upon it. One
reader wrote, “I just finished reading your book. I feel as if I had eaten my
first home-cooked meal after subsisting on snack food on a long, long journey.”
(This book was originally published as
Living with Chronic Illness: Days of
Patience and Passion. Nancy Mairs wrote in
The New York Times Book
Review, “What rescues this book from the pitfalls of Pollyannaism is Ms.
Register’s scrupulous intelligence and moral vigor.”)
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“Drawing from her own experiences and those of others who have adopted children
from outside the United States, the author here addresses a range of issues
arising from the controversial practice. As the parent of two Korean-born
daughters, Register is often faced with the query posed in the book's title.
How she and other parents help their foreign-born children ease into American
society is examined and evaluated. Larger questions, such as the ethics of
uprooting children from their heritage, the global issue of wealthy versus poor
countries, the racism often encountered by these children, the wrenching issue
of the rights of birth parents, are presented in very personal terms.
Internationally adoptive parents will find this an empathetic guide.”
Publishers
Weekly
