August 29, 2011
Texans Gloria and Andrew Powell adopt a Chinese girl, Lily (whom they rename Joy), who grows into a rebellious teenager. Meanwhile, Lily’s older sister, Chang Kai, moves to America for her medical training, knowing she must honor their mother’s last words: “Reclaim Lily.” Kai also knows that Lily may have inherited the kidney disease that killed the girls’ mother. She is the unwelcome bearer of bad news even as the Powells grapple with Joy’s defiance. Lacy lays out a nicely knotted plot that women readers who have adopted internationally can particularly relate to. But her execution misses the mark. The prose wears purple rouge (“The points of his shiny, star-shaped badge gleamed a chilling message”). Characterization is uneven; Andrew Powell is an infinitely patient minister, and Joy/Lily’s character development is unpersuasive. Readers seeking a wholesome read should know the story is strongly evangelical Christian; the come-to-Jesus plot moments may puzzle those who don’t need them. The portrayal of Chinese religious philosophy is also myopically evangelical Christian. All in all, this novel will be enjoyed most by those who share the author’s religious beliefs.