Motherbridge of Love - Hardcover

This poem was anonymously submitted to the UK based charity Mother Bridge of Love, founded by Xinran, the acclaimed Chinese author, broadcaster and journalist. In 2004, Xinran made it her aim to reach out to Chinese children all over the world who have been adopted, creating a bridge of understanding between Chinese and the West and between adoptive culture and birth culture.

This book shares its name with a London-based organization dedicated to promoting greater understanding of Chinese life and culture among adoptive families in the West. The text, credited to an anonymous adoptive mother, takes the form of a series of heartfelt, parallel musings about two women "who never knew each other" but who are central to a sprightly Chinese girl. "The first one gave you life; the second taught you to live it.... One found a home for you that she could not provide, the other prayed for a child; her hope was not denied." Masse (Goodnight, Sweet Pig) echoes this dreamy lyricism with gently surreal illustrations rendered in a texture like shot silk. Her treatment of the birth mother merits particular interest: on some spreads, she portrays the woman relatively realistically, carrying water in her village or gazing down at her pregnant belly. But in other spreads, the mother is transformed into a benevolent spirit; readers will notice her Asian features in the moon that shines down on the adoptive mother and child, and even in the mountain that the pair traverse during a hike or in a dramatic sky. It's a risky artistic choice, but Masse pulls it off in an understated way that offers comfort and encouragement to parents and children. A portion of the proceeds benefits Mother Bridge of Love. Ages 4-10. (Sept.) --Publisher's Weekly, Sept. 10, 2007

"Got a girlfriend who just adopted a kid? You're going to want to get them this book, although the illustration is so gorgeous, you could give it to anyone. The text was submitted anonymously to the charity Mother Bridge of Love, which seeks to connect kids adopted from China with their homeland...it does explain quite lyrically how two mothers can each have a part in making one whole child" --Time Magazine

"I read the book with my adopted daughter and awaited her response. It was wonderful. When I asked her what she liked in the book she immediately said the two mothers were two trees with a shared heart" --Maura Sills, founder, The Karuna Institute