A Great Summer Read

Colin Thubron must be one of the finest writers of our time. I came across Among the Russians (formerly titled "Where Nights Are Longest") on the excellent website of Dr. George Grant, a Presbyterian pastor in Franklin, TN, who has this extraordinary book listed among his 25 top "modern non-fiction titles."

If you've ever traveled in Russia or Ukraine (or plan to), you will be blown away by this fascinating story of Thubron's solo travels throughout Western Russia and Ukraine in the early 80's. He is stunningly perceptive while penetrating deeply into the soul of ordinary people, and his descriptions of them will hit home with anyone who's spent time in this mysterious part of the world:

"The whole country is like a requiem. In its consuming maternity, its individual children drown; and all other nations become petty or irrelevant - they are far away. From her own people Russia elicits a helpless worship of belonging. She contains them with the elemental despotism of an earth mother, and they feel for her the supplicant's tormented tenderness."

I love reading travel books in the Summer, and this is easily the finest in the travel genre I've ever read. If your adoption adventure takes you to Siberia, check out Thubron's In Siberia, which also gets rave reviews on Amazon.

Great Reads!

Ever since we adopted Christian from Moscow more than five years ago, I've been captivated by Russia and its sturdy people. I marvel at how they've maintained such dignity through centuries of oppression, even through the darkest days of communism, which targeted artists with particular vengeance.

One of the most impressive things is how average Russians and Ukrainians have been able to keep their artistic heritage alive. I see that right before my eyes, as our daughters are both known at school as being some of the best artists in their class.

I have a much greater appreciation for this part of my family's heritage (sounds strange to say that!) after reading the exhilirating Natasha's Dance, A Cultural History of Russia, by British scholar Orlando Figes. This is a big book, but don't be put off by that. It's highly readable with lots of chapter breaks and the pace is brisk. A warning though: reading this book is likely to transform you into a Russophile if you weren't already!

While you're at Amazon, go ahead and order this inspirational little book. My Beloved Russia is the testimony of a young man growing up as a promising scientist and a pawn in the Soviet system. After becoming a Christian, Dimitry Mustafin becomes an underground evangelist at great risk to himself and his family.

It's a fast read, and the translation is on a middle school reading level, so it is perfect for our adopted teenagers. It would be a great read-aloud book for the whole family. And if your faith needs it, it is sure to give you a kick in the pants!

You Cannot Do Otherwise

On occasion I receive private emails from prospective parents at various stages of the Ukraine adoption process. It's always amusing and humbling that someone would seek my advice, but I love having an opportunity to share our experience and hope with other families. Most everyone is experiencing some degree of fear - everything from the home study (no big deal), driving in Ukraine (very scary!) or dealing with hurting children.

It took us 18 months from the beginning to the end of our "process" and we faced much fear. But I was continually inspired and encouraged by all the great adoption blogs, especially those who were in Ukraine. At times I thought we would never get there and back, and the anxiety of actually making it all happen was overwhelming.

I think this why you see so many of us writing about our faith. We realize that we can only do so much. The results and timing are entirely in God's hands. But sometimes we forget that and are vulnerable to discouragement along the way. So, for anyone who is getting jittery, let me suggest that you do yourself a favor and read the brilliant biography of John Adams, by David McCullough.

I live in the land of Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, but after reading this magnificent account of our second President, Adams takes a backseat to none, and is arguably the cream of the crop. Certainly, none of the other luminaries of the American Revolution shared Adams' devout Christian faith. He had never sailed on a sea-going ship before, but with unbelievable courage, he accepted an assignment for a dangerous transatlantic diplomatic mission to France in the middle of the war, with his ten year old son! McCullough writes:

"He was embarking on a 3,000 mile voyage on the North Atlantic in its most treacherous season...Adams was leaving his wife, children, friends, his home, his livelihood, everything he loved. He was risking his life and that of his small son, risking capture and who knew what horrors and indignities as a prisoner. At age forty-two he was bound for an unimaginably distant world apart, with very little idea of what was in store and every cause to be extremely apprehensive. But with his overriding sense of duty, his need to serve, his ambition, and as a patriot fiercely committed to the fight for independence, he could not have done otherwise."

Indeed the voyage nearly killed everyone on board, but Adams and young John Quincy made it and went on to turn the tide of our nation's future. When I read the above words I thought of how adoptive parents feel likewise. Despite all the insanity one goes through by choosing to adopt in wild and wonderful Ukraine, we could not have done otherwise!

Today in church, we were reminded of the words of Psalm 139:16: "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." As our pastor put it, God ordains our birth and death. It is all in His hands and we no longer have to be overwhelmed by our anxiety over what could go wrong. In fact, we can live courageously because our life is not our own!

I am grateful to all you who've written me heartfelt messages. Many of you prayed for us during our seven week adventure, and I am happy to return the favor as you step out in faith - you can not do otherwise.

Book Recommendations

"If you don't read good books, you will read bad ones."

-C.S. Lewis

I finished reading Nicholas and Alexandra several days ago and haven't stopped thinking about it. Much of my reading is devoted to biography and history and this extraordinary story of Russia's last Tsar, World War I, and the Russian Revolution, has to be the finest book in this category I've ever read. It is also one of Dana's favorites, and she rarely reads history.

I studied about the Soviet Union before we adopted Christian from Russia, so I've always been intrigued by its fascinating history, but this book put things in perspective better than anything I've come across.

Robert Massie writes with great respect for the Russian people and with all the flair of a great novelist. I don't think I've ever responded to a book so emotionally as he describes the tragedy surrounding the Romanovs and Russia's descent into the bloodbath of the 20th Century. His prose is plain, but beautiful and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

I also highly recommend his Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Peter The Great. Even if you are strictly a fiction reader, don't hesitate to check out either of these incredible books. The stories are better than any novelist could dare to imagine. Nothing comes close to the real-life drama of Russian history.

Both of these books are fast paced, supreme reading experiences which will help you better understand the tumultous part of the world where our adopted children are from.