Getting Started
1. What is your first impression of the book All You Can Ever Know?
2. What expectations do you have for the book and for our discussion as we begin the 2024 International Book Club?
(Please include your name and country/school when making a comment here on the blog. Feel free to comment on someone else's post and also let them know where you're from!)
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung built on what I already knew about international adoption. I knew quite a bit about it because of my time scrolling on TikTok. There had been a few TikTok creators who are looking for their biological parents, some being through donation, who are trying to find a missing piece of their biological history.
ReplyDeleteI am wanting to know what other’s people experiences or knowledge on the adoption process in different parts of the world, and if others felt the same as I did on certain things.
My first impression of the book was that the cover was pretty. I am a person who judges books by their covers (primary because I read romance books) and the cover made me want to read it more than just for a school project. From the first few pages I was engaged. I found a free audio version on Libby, and I was only planning to read 30 minutes of it, and I ended up reading for an hour.
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Jennifer Serrano and I am an English major at CSU Bakersfield. My first impression on the book All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung is that it was a very interesting read. Chung immediately captured my attention as she shared very intimate and honest moments with her readers. There are many people in the world that grow up with adopted parents (or even guardians) and feel as if they have a hard time blending in. It was extremely interesting to get a taste of that through Cheung's perspective.
ReplyDeleteAs we begin the 2024 International Book Club, I really hope that everyone was as intrigued by this novel as I was. I am excited to hear people's opinions on the adoption process and how they felt about Chung's experience.
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung opened my mind more to about the impact of adoption on children from different ethnic backgrounds. I had a few good friends of mine share their personal experiences with me and their adoption stories which were interesting to hear.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to hearing others thoughts and feelings on the book and learn how other parts of the world view adoption.
The topic of adoption has always been something I was curious about because when I was in a primary school, my favotite teacher at the time adopted two children after struggling to concieve for 10 years. Back then, all I could see was the teacher’s happiness. Now that I’m reading the other point of view, I have many more thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how adopted people perceive their experiences - whether they see it as something positive or maybe one of the hardest pills to swallow? I’m looking forward to obtaining the answers to my questions.
The book All You Can Ever Know surprised me positively since from the very first pages I was very interested and intrigued by the topic of adoption. I know several couples who decided to adopt a child here in Poland, but I have never had the opportunity to learn what the situation looks like from the perspective of an adopted person. The book opened me up to many of the feelings that such a person struggles with. I really want to learn more and I hope that the Book Club will allow me to learn the opinions and perspectives of other members.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of "All You Can Ever Know" was: "woah, so many intruiging and touching reflections, beautifully put onto paper". It was new to get to know the insight of an adopted person, especially by parents of a different race. I'm hoping to get to understand those emotions even more. I want us to focus on the difficult parts of the book: the sense of (not) belonging, the hard realities of being a parent and a child, peer relations, and many many more. I am thrilled to learn people's perceptions on those issues.
ReplyDeleteMy first impressions of "All You Can Ever Know" have been that Nicole Chung speaks poignantly on the subject of international adoption. As an adoptee myself from Romania (Romani descent), I found myself reliving much of my own struggles with race, ethnicity, family, and overall identity. I was also renamed after my adoption, and the sense of detachment from our given names really resonated with me. Being adopted by parents who are not of the same ethnicity has brought both pain and joy to my life as I slowly uncovered the extent to which I did not truly know the innate parts of myself that have been tucked away for much of my life. Though my adoption was never a secret, the revelations and misinformation that has come with my journey as an adoptee have taken precedent in how I now share my story with others.
ReplyDeleteMoving forward with reading this book, I am really looking forward to sharing my experience with others as a mean to relate to Chung's experience as an adoptee. The beauty and joys of adoption are very real and should be celebrated, but it is a disservice to adoptees to not speak about the very real struggles of being adopted.
I hope everyone else is enjoying this book as much as I am, and I very much look forward to speaking with other students about it.
For me it is a powerful book which delves into themes of family and identity. Chung’s exploration of her experience and journey to understand her origin is thought-provoking. Her writing balances narrative with social issues, which makes it relatable and really moving. It raises important questions about race and culture, meaning of home. Overall, it is compelling and insightful read
ReplyDeleteI found "All You Can Ever Know" gripping from the very beginning. I haven't had much experience with adoption in real life (everything I've known is from books, movies and the media), so I'm always really excited and grateful to learn more about the details, especially from such a unique perspective of an adoptee. The book made me ponder over many aspects of adoption - including interracial adoption - that I had never considered before. With so many intimate facts and stories, I was surprised by how much Nicole Chung had decided to reveal about her struggles and experiences; I believe that her account can be invaluable and extremely comforting to people with similar stories (but not only!). Moreover, I really enjoy the author's writing style and her clever choice of words.
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to see how the story unfolds and ends, and I am very curious about Cindy. I'm looking forward to discussing personal experiences with other participants and learning more about their stories :)
What I find unique is the way author presents us the plot. She gradually adds more and more pieces of information about her past taking advantage of certain occasions.Talk to the future adoptive parents is an example of it. Not only do we get to know what exactly happened to her, but also what's her view on it. We have a chance to imagine her feelings and process it all with her.
ReplyDeleteThe book also made me focus on the adoption process in Poland. There was a foster family living in the same village as I when I was a child. I did not spot any bullying towards them but I have never asked them about their feelings connected with that experience. It was a taboo.
1. First Impression of All You Can Ever Know
ReplyDeleteI’ve never experienced anything like Nicole Chung’s story, reading All You Can Ever Know has already taught me something new. Chung’s journey as a Korean-American adoptee raised by a white family opens up different questions about identity, family, and belonging. Her honest narrative offers a unique point of view for realities of transracial adoption.
2. Expectations for the Book and Discussion
I’m eager to learn more about Chung’s later experiences and how her search for identity evolves. I expect our discussions to share simmilar experiences and learn other's view for intercultural adoptions.
For me, this book is a profound exploration of family, identity, and belonging. Chung’s journey to uncover her origins and make sense of her personal history is deeply thought-provoking for me. Her experience as an adopted person, especially with parents of a different race, offers an eye-opening perspective. The narrative raises powerful questions about race, culture, and what it truly means to feel at home in one’s own skin and family. I’m looking forward to dive deeper into the layers of this book and uncovering even more insights.
ReplyDelete1. My first impression of the book „All You can Ever Know” was that it is very well-written book, allowing the readers to gain more insight and understanding towards the issue of interracial and intercultural adoptions, but also towards the issue of racism and prejudice itself. I gave gotten really invested in this book, as it is teaching me something valuable, directly from a perspective of a person experiencing it.
ReplyDelete2. I expect the book to provide me with knowledge that I can use in my real life, because my relationship is intercultural and interracial 😊 I hope to gain more insight on how to support my partner and other people of different cultures/races in Poland! On the International Book Club meetings I will be happy to hear about other people’s views regarding this topic. I am sure we can all learn something new 😊.
“All You Can Ever Know” by Nicole Chung is one of those books that pulls you in right from the start. From the beginning, Chung is open and real, talking about what it was like to grow up feeling different, with a constant curiosity about her roots and where she really came from. The book dives into her decision to search for her birth family as an adult, bringing up big questions about family, identity, and belonging. It’s emotional and sometimes complicated, but there’s this thread of hope and discovery throughout that makes it feel uplifting. It’s a story that anyone who’s ever felt out of place or wondered about their background can relate to, and Chung tells it in a way that’s easy to connect with.
ReplyDelete"All You Can Ever Know" is a book that helped me understand more about adoptions, especially about intercultural or interracial ones, and struggles that can come with it. The story is well written and pulls the reader in from the very first page. It is about self-discovery, healing and finding your place in the world, so many people can connect with it. I love how the author is true about her feelings and her experience as an adoptee. I am looking forward to seeing how her story unfolds and sharing my views with others.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete1.My first impression of All You Can Ever Know is that it’s a touching and real look at identity and family. Nicole Chung tells her story in a way that draws you in, and her experiences as a transracial adoptee are both moving and thought-provoking. 2. I expect our discussion to focus on important topics like race, family, and who we are as individuals. I hope we can share our thoughts on how Chung’s story connects to our own lives. It will be great to hear different viewpoints and learn from each othr!
When reading the book, I was impressed by how engaging and touching the story was. My favorite genre is fantasy, so I was not expecting to enjoy this story very much, but the book surprised me by how quickly I was turning the pages, wanting to know how Chung's story unfolds. I really enjoyed reading and learning about her experiences and how adoption impacted her life.
ReplyDeleteI am curious about other people's feelings, whether about the book or their own experiences, or both. This is a topic I've never really delved into, and so it is very interesting for me to see a perspective of an adopted person.
My initial reaction to All You Can Ever Know was that it was beautifully written and gripping from the very first pages. Gaining insight into the life of an adopted person, especially one raised by parents of a different race, was an eye-opening experience for me. I am excited to dive deeper into the themes of All You Can Ever Know. I'm looking forward to meaningful discussions exploring the topics of identity and belonging.
ReplyDeleteMy first impressions on "All you can ever know" written by Nicole Chung were not positive I must admit. The first chapter was dull and uninteresting, irritating at times. The author was telling us a story of how hard it was to be different in your own community and be bullied because of your differences. The book didn't start by presenting anything new, after all didn't we all have problems at school?
ReplyDeleteThe importance of the message only revealed itself to me in the second chapter, which had shown me the emotional baggage of everyone involved.
I'm not sure what to expect from this book during further reading, it has already changed my mind onece, and I suppose what I expect is to be suprised by it again.
My first impression of the book was definitely positive, it really helped me understand the difficulties that come with interracial/intercultural adoptions, as well as made me realize how important our cultural identity is. Also, as someone who experienced bullying before (although for a different reason), I could relate to the author a lot and her story assured me that my feelings were valid.
ReplyDeleteI expect to learn even more about the struggles of being raised surrounded by people of a different culture and trying to find your place in the world, so I could hopefully use this knowledge to help someone in the future.
Well, I can say that "All You Can Ever Know" by Nicole Chung gives me a deeply personal exploration of identity and the search for belonging. It’s also combining memoir with broader themes family. Her storytelling leads readers through her journey with big vulnerability.
ReplyDeleteMy expectations for the book are that it might spark discussions about the identity. I feel that conversation can go into personal reflections and the different perspectives.
My first impression of the book 'All You Can Ever Know' was very positive. It gives a real look on identity and family with an adopted child. While reading, I was very curious about her story. I really enjoyed reading about her experiences.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see how the story will unfold. Also, I wonder what do others think about it, and what's their view on this topic.
“All You Can Ever Know” by Nicole Chung helped me gain a deeper understanding of interracial and intercultural adoption and the challenges that come with it. I love how the book captures all the emotions the author experienced as an adoptee, offering a heartfelt look into her journey. It was the book that gripped me from the very beginning.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the book All You Can Ever Know" describes author's life and it is very positive, but this book have some sad and bad moments too. Author this book have challeges aganist racism in her school. I understand her situation in her childhood, because if I was born in South Korea and I adopted by American Family , I would have troubles with racism in my American school too. Generally, I have very good impressions with this book. It is very positive and interesting.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait continuation of this book. This book is very interesting for me.
1. All You Can Ever Know seems like a touching story about finding out who you really are. It’s about a girl who was adopted and wants to learn more about her heritage and birth family. My first impression is that it will be a heartfelt and emotional read.
ReplyDelete2. I expect this book to help us think about family, identity, and the challenges of growing up with questions about where you come from. I'm hoping our discussions will make us reflect on our own identities and learn from each other’s perspectives.
“All You Can Ever Know” by Nicole Chung helped me understand more about interracial/intercultural adoptions. My first impression of this book was that it is written in such a captivating way that it made me want to read more. Chung journey to find her birth family and identity showed me how important identity is. I really enjoyed reading about her experiences.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious how the story unfolds in the next parts. I wonder what other people think about this book. I would love to hear the opionion of others or their experiences.