“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” - John 14:18
I’m not normally a non-fiction kind of gal. Usually I struggle to get past the first few chapters. But not so with Lorilee Craker’s “ ‘Anne of Green Gables,’ My Daughter & Me.” This literary memoir is a delightful telling of the adoption stories of both herself and her South Korean daughter, Phoebe, and how those tales interweave with the story of that beloved red-haired Anne Girl as well as Anne’s author, Lucy Maud Montgomery.
As Craker reminds us of the story of Anne, the beloved literary orphan adopted by the Cuthbert siblings on Canada’s Prince Edward Island, she openly and honestly shares her own stories — how she was adopted as an infant by a loving Mennonite couple, and how she and her husband adopted their own daughter from South Korea.
In her very open and honest tellings about the ups and downs of being adopted, Craker helps remind us that we are all orphans in some way or another. This memoir deals with lessons, whether you are adopted or not, that we all struggle with — our search for identity, building friendships and trusts, knowing we all have cracks and what to do with them, finding redemption after we goof up, as well as forgiveness; and, most importantly, God mends the brokenness we all have.
The author provides many valuable nuggets of truths that speak deeply to the heart, like: “Redemption is not always obvious. Not at all. We are often blinded to the ways in which our adoptive Father swaps our wrecking balls for His renovation projects. If only we opened our eyes to see. If only we remembered that even in the dark, in the silence, He is working, salvaging our junkyard scraps, saving us forever.”
“ ‘Anne of Green Gables,’ My Daughter & Me” is funny, serious, thought-provoking and tear-provoking. Even though it is technically “non-fiction,” it reads very quickly and easily, almost like a fiction novel. Fans of Lucy Maud Montgomery and that spunky red-headed orphan girl, Anne, will love this book. Those who have a heart for orphans, or who have found that bit of an orphan in themselves, will find this book lovely and refreshing.
As a fellow Anne fan who has been blessed enough to travel to Prince Edward Island once and walk in the steps of L.M. Montgomery, I found this book simply delightful.
Five stars out of five.
Tyndale House Publishers provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.