Red Thread Sisters by Carol Antoinette Peacock
Published by: Viking Children’s Books, October 2012
Official Author Websites: Site | Facebook
Page Count: 224
Converse via: #RedThreadSisters
Acquired Book By: Winning a contest adverted through “Shelf Awareness for Readers” bi-weekly newsletter, October 2012. I received the book direct from the author {Ms. Peacock} without obligation to post a review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts herein.
{Photo courtesy of
Paula Swift Photography}
Partial Author Biography:
{quoted from: Carol Peacock’s Media Page}
Dr. Carol Antoinette Peacock grew up in Maryland, in a suburb outside of Washington D.C. She is the oldest of three children in a family who loved books. When she was young, her parents, Andrew and Gloria Peacock, read devotedly to her, her younger brother, Richard, and her younger sister, Nancy. Carol Peacock has wanted to be a writer since she was eleven. She is now a practicing psychologist and author of six books.
Carol Peacock currently practices at Mt. Auburn Counseling Associates, where she specializes in treating children and families, along with her black Lab, Pepper, as her co-therapist. Her latest book, Red Thread Sisters, a middle grade novel, is the story of two friends, one who is adopted from a Chinese orphanage and promises to find her friend a family too, is forthcoming from Viking Penguin in fall 2012.
The author lives outside of Boston with her husband, a history teacher with the Boston Public Schools. Her family includes her stepson, her oldest daughter, Elizabeth, 19, and her youngest daughter, Katherine, 18. Her family also includes Pepper, four cats and two turtles.
What originally drew me into the premise of the story? I have attended meetings for international adoption programs, where I first learnt of the connection to children who meet in orphanages or group homes. Where their friendship is closer to that of a sibling and how they really do try to either get adopted together or at least get adopted within a similar timeframe. The title reminds me of another story: I have heard about how there is an invisible thread that interconnects all of us, either to each other as a whole society or as individuals. There is a line of compassion and interconnectivity that unites us as humans, but its more than that. There is something to be said for finding someone who both understands you and wants to help you succeed in your own life.
Why is adoption a special part of my own life’s story? I have always known that I wanted to adopt children, since I was quite a young girl. Mostly as I grew up on the film Annie, and my parents oft spoke of their attempt to bring home a younger brother for me from a children’s home. Sadly, this harkens back to the early 80s, and adoptions were not quite as successful as they are today. Originally, I was considering international adoption, but I have since amended that to choosing school-aged children in foster care here in the United States. My journey has not yet begun in this regard, but my appreciation, compassion, and empathy for all prospective adoptive parents throughout the process towards bringing their children home knows no bounds. I am forever an advocate for children in need of families and for those of us who can provide a home, to consider a child who needs a Mum, and a forever family to call their own. Inasmuch, as those who choose to adopt as a two-parent family. We all come to adoption on different lifepaths, and it’s the children who benefit from our loving kindness to give them a renewed sense of Hope for their future.
“Red Thread Sisters” Book Trailer by COS (Circle of Seven) Productions.
Inspired to Share: I knew this was going to be a powerful book to read from the moment I first learnt of its existence, and this book trailer only touches lightly on what is enclosed within its pages! I am growing fond of book trailers of late, as they cast a happy glow of what a book could yield to a reader, and starts to embark you on the emotional arc of the characters your more than eager to get to know on a very personal level. Drink this trailer, and prepare your heart for an emotional journey whilst Wen and Shu Ling find their paths are interlocked towards their futures.
in China, Ms. Peacock was inspired
to write Red Thread Sisters.
Peacock Family Album
A short Q & A with the author:
Carol Antoinette Peacock, thank you for being gracious in answering the following questions! I emailed her personally in early May 2013.
What was your impression of returning to China, and seeing where your daughters were from originally?
When we returned to China, we toured with a group and saw a lot of Chinese sites, like Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall and the Terra Cotta Warriors. We went to a panda preserve in Chengdu and the girls got to hold pandas! But the most powerful part of the trip was the return to our girls’ orphanage in Wuhan. I was moved to be able to have a banquet with Director Li, the former director, who actually “matched” both daughters to us! Seeing the very room where we had had Elizabeth placed in our arms brought tears to my eyes. Also moving was the time we spent with the older girls, still waiting for families. This experience inspired Red Thread Sisters.
I can only imagine what it was like to re-trace your daughters roots whilst returning to China to breathe in the richness of the country’s history and to walk amongst the living remnants of the past! I had to smile when I read that your daughters were able to hold pandas, as I have fond memories of holding lion cubs as a child, as well as a spider monkey! There is something to be said for interacting with wild animals when your younger, to grow up with a deep appreciation for the natural world whilst an adult. I was touched by your recollection and pictures that you shared with me of your trip to China, as I couldn’t upload a few of the ones I wanted to spotlight, such as the Great Wall snapshot and the group photo of your family with Director Li! For some reason the file configurations are not agreeing with my blog! I was humbled by the fact you allowed me into this part of your life with such openness and willingness to share. I shall never forget your generosity. And, i too, know well of the plight of older children who are awaiting forever families. Many a time, whilst looking through heart galleries of waiting children {esp sibling groups}, I say silent hope filled prayers that there will be families willing to adopt older children, such as I am, who struggle to retain the hope and faith that they will one day be adopted. My heart always aches knowing the swell of children available verse the ready availability of adoptive families. You gave a voice to children like Wen and Shu Ling in such a strong and positive way, that anyone who reads this story cannot but help be touched by the powerful testament of a mother’s love for a children she brought home who needed her most.
Your dog Pepper, and you share a special bond as evident in your photograph, was he a rescue? And, if so, could you share one snippet that endeared you to him as the companion he’s become?
{Photo courtesy of Paula Swift Photography}
Pepper and I do share an incredible bond. He wasn’t a rescue dog, although all my other dogs have been. Pepper is a therapy dog and he senses when people are sad. He goes up and licks their faces. I also take Pepper whenever I go to the beach to write. We go to a pet-friendly motel right on the beach and he becomes my writing companion. We share so much. He is my companion, friend, colleague, retreat pal. Pepper means the world to me.
I know that my Mum has always wanted another dog since ours passed on in 1992. He was very much the epitome of what you express about Pepper, for Mum! She always wanted to get him trained to be a therapy dog, to enable them to travel to nursing homes, assisted living centers, and hospitals. I know in the back of her mind, she still yearns to find a dog to adopt that would be a great companion but secondly, could help give back to those need a bit of extra encouragement and a smile! I am hoping that perhaps a window will open that we are not yet aware of. Pepper sounds like the most ideal pal to have and I am thankful he’s one of the sweet souls that we all seek to find to have in our lives!
Peacock Family Album.
The reason why this story has endeared my heart and captured the very spirit of why I cannot wait to embark on my own adoption journey,… As soon as you begin “Red Thread Sisters”, you are being taken on a journey through Wen’s eyes as she leaves her orphanage to relocate to Boston, Massachusetts in the far-off place known as “America – Land of Dreams”. She’s trepidatiously unsure if this is a good thing or an omen of uncertainty, as everything about her life and her world will be turned upside down. In ways, that she is not even expecting, such as not needing to pick up a pail and start washing the floors {a particular scene drawing back memories of watching “Annie” as a young girl by which I tired out the videotape as much as the soundtrack on cassette!} to recognising that she didn’t need to get in line for a week’s worth of clean clothes because her clothes were now stored in a closet and set of drawers of her own. Her yearnings of being with her best friend Shu Ling haunt her as she starts to make in-roads and progress towards adapting to her new life in America. School was one thing she was hoping would be familiar and normal, yet it proved to be just as challenging as sorting out how to interact with her ‘new’ family: a mother, a father, and an eager seven-year old sister named Emily, who although adopted from China like her, was free of the anxiety that Wen felt as she came home as an infant not a young girl who was fully aware of the consequences of a placement that could reverse your course back to the orphanage.
What I appreciated the most, was the inner world of Wen, seeing her thoughts, her emotions, and the ways in which she interpreted everything happening to her. Her inability to draw close to her Mom, always pulling away, and fearing that she shouldn’t get too close to her. The regret and guilt she had over making new friends at school, as a stab of pain knowing her first true friend was Shu Ling, who was still awaiting adoption and had a harder chance at it being listed as a special needs child with a club foot. There is a pure honesty in the story, as it unfolds through the pacing of an average American household shifting through childhood growing years and the instability of economic hardships that plague working class Americans.
I enjoyed watching her parents show patience and acceptance rather than bitterness and resentment towards Wen. They embraced her unconditionally from the moment they picked her up in China, to a very emotional scene on a blistery cold Winter night in Boston. That particular scene is a changing of place and reassurance of who she is and where she is now. I won’t spoilt it for you, but know, when you come upon it, it’s the critical arc where Wen finally understands her life and where it’s heading next.
I have always been drawn to stories of adoption, ever since I was a young girl. Annie became a mainstay in my life, as I think a part of me was hoping things could turn around and my family would expand. As I grew, I noticed that I was always excited about seeing a film or reading a book that revolved around adoption and non-traditional families. I knew in my early twenties that I would adopt children myself when the time was right for me to start my own family. It’s as natural as knowing I would one day be a Mum, as I have always known I was maternal. Even now, I celebrate films like “The Three Gifts” a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie from 2009 and “The Fosters” a new ABC Family tv series that showcases a blended family of foster adopted siblings, a natural bourne son, and two foster placed children in need of a permanent home.
“Red Thread Sisters” for me curls up inside my heart, warms my soul, and allows me to see adoption from a new angle of insight. Wen and Shu Ling will tug at you, and endear you to understand how difficult it is for them to acknowledge they deserve a second chance at having a family. As well as how transformative their lives can become if they learn to trust the family that has brought them home.
The organisations mentioned in the Afterward & Ending Bits of the novel:
Wide Horizons for Children – is the organisation by which Ms. Peacock and her husband adopted their daughters from China, a little over 20 years ago in 2013. Founded in the 1970s to help children in need in over 60 countries to date. They have current programs for sponsorship or adoption in the following countries: Burundi, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Korea, Moldova, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Taiwan, and the USA.
Love without Boundaries – is the organisation that Ms. Peacock is donating a portion of the profits from “Red Thread Sisters”. Their continuing mission is to inspire all of us to wrap the lives of children in China with special {medical} needs around our hearts and give as we’re able too, to ensure that these children can thrive under the care they deserve. As my copy of the book was won through the contest, I am going to purchase a copy of “Red Thread Sisters” and give to one of my nieces for Christmas this year. She’s around the age of Wen & Shu Ling, and I know she would benefit from their story. I always like to support authors who give proceeds of their books to charities that have touched their hearts, and I look forward to adding to the silent contributions that have already come to pass.
Half the Sky – an organisation that gives Chinese orphans a chance at a childhood, inspired by a Chinese saying ‘Women Hold Up Half the Sky”. Founded in 1998 to provide the same loving attention to all orphans in China, irregardless if they were adopted or not able to be adopted, due to noting the power of love can affect a child who was raised without human affection. Simply reading these words about their mission and their founding gives you goosebumps knowing the heart of their mission is to simply change the stars of the young people who may not realise they are having an impact on others. Being a Mum-in-Waiting as I have called myself over the years, as my own journey towards adoption has not yet begun, but the heart of a mother has always been inside me, I can attest to knowing that the most important factor in a child’s development is the interactions they have with their caregivers. Mother. Father. Sister. Brother. Aunt. Uncle. Cousin. Grandmother. Grandfather. Adoptive Parent. Foster Parent. Whomever steps into the role in the life of a child, will write the future for them, because children thrive on stimulated interactions and a curiosity about their living environment and world. I ought to know, because my own Mum was my first teacher and she garnished a life-long pursuit of knowledge inside me that I have not yet been able to quench a zest of! How beautiful that this organisation exists and is thriving! I applaud their efforts!
Holt International – is an organisation that gives back to children in need as well as enables those who are able to adopt children through the process of international placements. They work in the following countries: Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Uganda, and Vietnam. I have been aware of Holt for a long time, especially since when I first embarked on researching adoption as a single parent, I turned to international adoption first ahead of domestic adoption choices. Holt is a name that is passed through adoption circles most readily due to their reputation of helping children in need. Through research you will find adoption to be a close-knit circle of supporters and organisations. Holt was founded in 1955.
Children’s Hope International – is an organisation since 1992 who has placed nearly 8,000 children through adoption into forever families! Most of the adoptions took place in China, with the rest in the following countries: Columbia, Ethiopia, India, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Nepal, and Russia. They also believe that every child deserves the resources they need to thrive irregardless if their able to be adopted. They send resources directly to where they are needed most. They offer a Partners in Hope program to help fund their support and outreach.
Our Chinese Daughters Foundation – I was unable to pull this organisation up online.
Families with Children from China – New England – is an organisation founded in 1996 to unite families who have adopted children from China to each other for support and friendship. They provide a guiding light towards adoption as well as resources families might need once they are settled back home post-adoption. A membership supported volunteer run organisation that thrives on providing the interactions between children and parents that might otherwise not be made possible or as easily. I always felt that resources like these are proved to be invaluable as the road towards adjustment and adaptation to a new home is a long transition that could use a bufferment of support and care.
There are two sayings throughout “Red Thread Sisters”, as well as in the personal letter attached in the afterword by the author herself,… one is a meditative pause of ‘light reflected as brightly lit as lunar lanterns’, and the second is the poignancy behind the entitlement of the book itself, ‘of the delicate red thread that unites all of us in a shared common bond, where those who cross our path are meant to be in our lives, and despite the appearance of the thread’s nature, will hold steadfast and strong perpetually’. The book gives pause to any woman considering motherhood through adoption and any father choosing his path of fatherhood through adoption, because it touches on the raw emotions that are silently withheld from the adoptive parents, by children who live in constant fear that something they do or say or not do even will be grounds for them to return back from whence they came. To become un-adoptable simply because they didn’t live up to the adoptive parents expectations. It’s also a book that examines adoption from the reflections of the children themselves, as they struggle to yield and bend with a new rhythm completely different from the one they were used too whilst at an orphanage, group home, or foster home. They have to learn its okay to make mistakes, to learn and grow through their experiences, and that a forever family isn’t co-dependent on perfection but rather with honesty, heart, emotion, and love. May we always keep ourselves lit from within with a light of hope as powerful and strong as lunar lanterns, to advocate for adoption and the expansion of our hearts and worlds when a child in need of a family, finds one in those of us willing to open our hearts and homes to them.
{SOURCES: All photographs, quotations of the author, and content from the authors’ website featured in this post were used with permission by the author herself: Carol Antoinette Peacock. The book trailer by COS (Circle of Seven) Productions had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portals to this post, and I thank them for this opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it. Book Review badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. #KidsLitBlogHop badge created by Jorie in Canva. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.
(on 6th February, 2015)
