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Sunday, April 14, 2013

"To Sing Frogs" (John M. Simmons)

TITLE: To Sing Frogs
AUTHOR: John M. Simmons
PUBLISHER: Salt Lake City, UT: White Knight Publishing, 2012, (376 pages).

[Note: From time to time, I will review books from independent publishers. Today's review is one of them. Even though I do not share the Mormon faith, there is a good message in this book that deserves to be told.]

There is love and compassion. There is a hunger to do the right thing. There is a deep conviction that amid a world of badness, there is still a chance to bring about goodness. In fact, the company founded by the author, White Knights, is specifically created to help alleviate poverty worldwide in whatever small ways possible. This energetic memoir tells the story of one man and his family, bringing hope through adoption of six children. In the process, Simmons learns not only to bring blessings to others, but through others,

The story of compassion and the sharing of hope, especially to people who begin this life thinking that "the world is a bad place." Yes, there are terrible places in this world. Where there are terrible people, there will be terrible situations. After all, the most biggest challenges in the world are often not technical or philosophical. It is relational. For many orphans in Russia, the world is a gloomy place. Refusing to be discouraged by the mountain of challenges, John Simmons seeks to give at least some of them hope through adoption. With his wife Amy, they have three biological children and have adopted six others. After having four boys, the couple was hoping to adopt a girl within the country. Without much success, they shift their focus overseas, in particular, Russia. Here is where the adventure really begins. Through the memoir, the Simmons describe their adoption experiences, their international travels, their strength to overcome administrative challenges, their observation of life in Russia, and their untiring efforts to make their dream of adopting the girls come true.

This is a very personal memoir, written with much energy and passion. Readers will be amazed to read about the mountain of challenges faced in international adoption. It is so difficult that only the most determined can maintain the high levels of optimism to overcome the different kinds of obstacles placed. If local adoption is difficult, international adoption is even more difficult. Words cannot do justice to the experience of the Simmons. For all the difficult times, just looking at the photographs of smiles and family, I can tell that as far as the author is concerned, it is all worth it. This book helps the author to bring back powerful memories for him, his family, for readers, and for many people who have gone through the adoption experience. Not everyone has the resources or the opportunities like this Simmons. Not everyone can overcome the challenges as well as John and Amy.  Yet, with love, it is always worth a try. Be encouraged as you read this memoir that reminds us that when science and intellectual know-how seems impossible, faith takes over. Even though the world is full of challenges, it is also full of the overcoming of challenges.

conrade

This book is provided to me free by the publisher without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

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