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Describe your latest work. Blueprints of the Afterlife is a novel about the following things: giant heads that appear in the sky, a mystical... Continue »
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The Red Thread

by Ann Hood

The Red Thread Cover

ISBN13: 9780393070200
ISBN10: 0393070204
Condition: Standard
Dustjacket: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In China there is a belief that people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. Who is at the end of your red thread? After losing her infant daughter in a freak accident, Maya Lange opens The Red Thread, an adoption agency that specializes in placing baby girls from China with American families. Maya finds some comfort in her work, until a group of six couples share their personal stories of their desire for a child. Their painful and courageous journey toward adoption forces her to confront the lost daughter of her past. Brilliantly braiding together the stories of Chinese birth mothers who give up their daughters, Ann Hood writes a moving and beautifully told novel of fate and the red thread that binds these characters' lives. Heartrending and wise, The Red Thread is a stirring portrait of unforgettable love and yearning for a baby.

Review:

"In her engaging new tearjerker, Hood (The Knitting Circle) follows several families as they attempt to adopt daughters from China. Holding down the center is Maya Lange, who, as head of the Red Thread Adoption Agency, is the prospective parents' guide through the adoption process. Childless Maya is driven by a desire to make amends for a tragic accident in her past, though her clients have their own share of heartbreak — miscarriages and infertility — and, predictably, the expectations and reservations about parenthood that they confide to Maya are shaped by a host of personal issues. In a nod to Hood's last novel, several women knit to calm their nerves as they await their new daughters. Meanwhile, Maya, also a knitter, takes painful steps toward letting go of the past. The individual arcs are woven together beautifully, though the interspersed tales of how the Chinese children came to be abandoned tend to clutter more than add. Regardless, Hood's sensitive depiction of her characters' hopes and fears makes for a moving story of dedication, forgiveness, and love." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Review:

"Is there anyone who can write about the connections between ordinary people as well as Ann Hood does? Her latest, The Red Thread, is a beautifully rendered piece of art—a tapestry of the complicated ties between mothers and children; an invitation to journey through the grief and wonder of the joy of adoption. Believe me, it's a trip you won't want to miss." Jodi Picoult, New York Times best-selling author of House Rules and Handle with Care

Review:

"The threads come together, the past is left behind, and all of these lives, however compromised, can begin anew. This is a subtle and unusual adoption story, many-layered, exquisitely told." Washington Post

Review:

"Comfort for the frayed heart is Hood's specialty.... Yet the stories of the Chinese families continue to haunt this reader, far longer than those of the happy Americans." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Review:

"The tone here is somber, but in the end these parents are transformed by the healing journeys they have made. Hood offers a thoughtful novel about the yearning for a child." Library Journal

Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of The Knitting Circle comes a reflection on a mother's powerful journey from loss to love.
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About the Author

Ann Hood is the author of ten books, including An Ornithologist's Guide to Life, The Knitting Circle, and Comfort. Her work has appeared in the Paris Review, Tin House, O, and elsewhere. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
Denise Morland, August 24, 2010 (view all comments by Denise Morland)
The Red Thread is the story of Americans adopting baby girls from China told from both sides. So as the American families are moving towards the decision to adopt, we also see the Chinese mothers moving towards giving their daughters up. I liked the plot device, its an interesting concept that I haven't seen done before. The central character of the story is Maya, the owner of the adoption agency connecting the two worlds.

Unfortunately I found the development of both the plot and the characters to be a bit superficial and lacking. She could have done so many intriguing things with this story, but most of it is predictable and one-dimensional. Its still an entertaining, quick read, just not as deep as I had hoped.

The audio version of The Red Thread is read by Hillary Huber. She a smooth, pleasant voice and does a fine job with the narration. Some of the raw, intense emotion doesn't come through, but that may have been more a fault of the writer than of the reader.
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Michelle Siegel, July 26, 2010 (view all comments by Michelle Siegel)
I absolutely loved this book! The story follows families in America who wish to adopt a baby from China for the period prior to and right up to the adoption, the families in China who have to depart with their baby girls for various reasons and the woman who runs the adoption agency here in America who links the two worlds together. Hood could not have woven a better story which is sure to pull on your heartstrings (quite literally) and bind you to the women and men left in China without their baby girls. This book would be perfect for a Book Club as it surely leads to lots of questions and opportunity for discussions!
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780393070200
Author:
Hood, Ann
Publisher:
W. W. Norton & Company
Subject:
Psychological fiction
Subject:
Adoption
Subject:
General
Subject:
Contemporary Women
Subject:
General Fiction
Subject:
Literature-Contemporary Women
Publication Date:
20100531
Binding:
Hardcover
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
304
Dimensions:
8.6 x 5.9 x 1.1 in 0.88 lb
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Related Aisles

The Red Thread Used Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$9.95 In Stock
Product details 304 pages W. W. Norton & Company - English 9780393070200 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "In her engaging new tearjerker, Hood (The Knitting Circle) follows several families as they attempt to adopt daughters from China. Holding down the center is Maya Lange, who, as head of the Red Thread Adoption Agency, is the prospective parents' guide through the adoption process. Childless Maya is driven by a desire to make amends for a tragic accident in her past, though her clients have their own share of heartbreak — miscarriages and infertility — and, predictably, the expectations and reservations about parenthood that they confide to Maya are shaped by a host of personal issues. In a nod to Hood's last novel, several women knit to calm their nerves as they await their new daughters. Meanwhile, Maya, also a knitter, takes painful steps toward letting go of the past. The individual arcs are woven together beautifully, though the interspersed tales of how the Chinese children came to be abandoned tend to clutter more than add. Regardless, Hood's sensitive depiction of her characters' hopes and fears makes for a moving story of dedication, forgiveness, and love." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review" by , "Is there anyone who can write about the connections between ordinary people as well as Ann Hood does? Her latest, The Red Thread, is a beautifully rendered piece of art—a tapestry of the complicated ties between mothers and children; an invitation to journey through the grief and wonder of the joy of adoption. Believe me, it's a trip you won't want to miss."
"Review" by , "The threads come together, the past is left behind, and all of these lives, however compromised, can begin anew. This is a subtle and unusual adoption story, many-layered, exquisitely told."
"Review" by , "Comfort for the frayed heart is Hood's specialty.... Yet the stories of the Chinese families continue to haunt this reader, far longer than those of the happy Americans."
"Review" by , "The tone here is somber, but in the end these parents are transformed by the healing journeys they have made. Hood offers a thoughtful novel about the yearning for a child."
"Synopsis" by , From the bestselling author of The Knitting Circle comes a reflection on a mother's powerful journey from loss to love.
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