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14th out of 137 books
—
62 voters
Silent Tears: A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage
by
Kay Bratt (Goodreads Author)
An American volunteer in a Chinese orphanage learns to pull from the hidden strength within her to improve conditions for the children. If you have ever wondered what day to day life is like in a Chinese orphanage, this will tell it. If you have ever wondered what it is like to love a child so deeply, even though they aren't yours, this will tell it. If you have ever wonde...more
Paperback, 430 pages
Published
July 3rd 2008
by CreateSpace
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This going to be a tough read. Because of the excruciating subject matter? No. Because the author is annoying and unskilled? Yes.
I'm not the PC sort and I laugh in the face of tolerance but this depiction of China and its people says more about the writer than it does about the culture of which she writes. She hasn't had a nice thing to say about anyone since the plane landed. She even seems upset when they speak to her in Chinese at the Chinese fast food restaurant. In China. She even insists t...more
6 likes · like · see review
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You open your eyes, and see darkness.
Wait, no, it's not exactly darkness. It's the moment before the sunrise, soon peering from the windows. It will be morning soon.
It's cold, very cold. They did not turn on the heaters again.
You shift uncomfortably on your wooden bed. You have bed sores all over, and you feel too stiff to move. Besides, you wouldn't really be able to move, as you're fastened to the bed with a clasp.
You long to get up, to be held, to feel human warmth. You, however, dread the in...more
Wait, no, it's not exactly darkness. It's the moment before the sunrise, soon peering from the windows. It will be morning soon.
It's cold, very cold. They did not turn on the heaters again.
You shift uncomfortably on your wooden bed. You have bed sores all over, and you feel too stiff to move. Besides, you wouldn't really be able to move, as you're fastened to the bed with a clasp.
You long to get up, to be held, to feel human warmth. You, however, dread the in...more
I'm hesitant to use a pop culture term, but it's what immediately comes to mind - this book in deeply rooted in a "first world problems" perspective. Although I enjoyed the sections that focused on the orphanage, the author's ego got in the way of the book as a whole. She clearly considers upper-middle class American culture to be vastly superior to Chinese culture and makes no effort to hide it, and it takes over the narrative. I selected the book as my Amazon library pick for August - thank g...more
This was written as a journal, not by a professional, although she had help. There was so much repetition, which characterized the repetitiousness of an orphan life. It's horrifying to know they were better off in the institution, than on the streets.
I was hoping to see how my two week experience in China was like theirs, but there was not a good comparison. While we were touring educational and historical facilities, we barely got a peek at the poorest areas. The people we met were so nice. Onl...more
I was hoping to see how my two week experience in China was like theirs, but there was not a good comparison. While we were touring educational and historical facilities, we barely got a peek at the poorest areas. The people we met were so nice. Onl...more
This book is the memoirs of an America woman who lives in China for five years and gets involved with a local orphanage.
I vacillated between thinking she was an incredibly noble woman really making a difference and irritation at her for assuming that the American way is not only the only way, but the best way to do everything.
I had to giggle at the statement that China could be a great place with a little guidance and advice from America.
But besides her sense of superiority and judgement, she a...more
I vacillated between thinking she was an incredibly noble woman really making a difference and irritation at her for assuming that the American way is not only the only way, but the best way to do everything.
I had to giggle at the statement that China could be a great place with a little guidance and advice from America.
But besides her sense of superiority and judgement, she a...more
This is why I shouldn't be allowed to read books! I wanted to cry while reading most of this!!
Kay's life changes when her husband's company sends him to China. Their 18 month stay turns into four years. As the family adapts to the very different way of life into which they have been abruptly placed, Kay begins volunteering with other expatriate women at the local orphanage. What she finds there shocks her into action, organizing other women and starting a global crusade to proved much needed don...more
Kay's life changes when her husband's company sends him to China. Their 18 month stay turns into four years. As the family adapts to the very different way of life into which they have been abruptly placed, Kay begins volunteering with other expatriate women at the local orphanage. What she finds there shocks her into action, organizing other women and starting a global crusade to proved much needed don...more
I gave this a one star.
Wish I could give it less.
I am only on page 401 of 4655 of this ebook.
Why? Prepare for my rant:
I don't like the author. At all. Some white woman coming to a foreign non-white country expecting a silver spoon, expecting everyone to make her feel like she is back in the US. Fuck you, lady.
Thought it was interesting how she never mentioned having a bad back during the 21hr plane trip, the 2 uncomfortable hotel stays. Until we get to the housekeeper. She'd rather do her cookin...more
Wish I could give it less.
I am only on page 401 of 4655 of this ebook.
Why? Prepare for my rant:
I don't like the author. At all. Some white woman coming to a foreign non-white country expecting a silver spoon, expecting everyone to make her feel like she is back in the US. Fuck you, lady.
Thought it was interesting how she never mentioned having a bad back during the 21hr plane trip, the 2 uncomfortable hotel stays. Until we get to the housekeeper. She'd rather do her cookin...more
1 like · like · see review
There were many things to like about "Silent Tears.." - I appreciate the fact that Bratt has shared her firsthand knowledge about the deplorable state of (many) orphanages in China. I BELIEVE her descriptions of the treatment of the children, and, if for no other reason, it reminded me of the treatment many U.S. seniors receive in nursing homes. (Having had a loved one in a nursing home, and having to contact the ombudsman on a regular basis, I can relate to some of the things the author shares,...more
This kindle book was on sale and I was interested in the subject so I bought it despite reading reviews that the author is really annoying. And YES she is really annoying and unaware of her privileged status. (An example is that at one point she mentions a Chinese nanny earns four dollars a day. Later the author goes shopping and buys some fruit and vegetables and feels it is a great deal at less than two dollars. HELLO, do the math. Those purchases are almost equivalent to half a nanny's daily...more
2 likes · like · see review
My husband and I considered adoption from a Korean or Chinese orphanage and had heard a lot about the neglect that was prevalent there. I accidentally ran across this memoir by Kay Bratt and learned a lot.
Kay followed her husband to China with her young daughter and while her husband worked at setting up a new facility for his work in China, Kay threw herself into working to bring about change in a Chinese orphanage.
One thing Kay emphasized -- don't go into a Chinese orphanage going gangbusters...more
Kay followed her husband to China with her young daughter and while her husband worked at setting up a new facility for his work in China, Kay threw herself into working to bring about change in a Chinese orphanage.
One thing Kay emphasized -- don't go into a Chinese orphanage going gangbusters...more
1 like · like · see review
This is a definite must read! Please be aware that some of the images are hard to understand and stomach, so the faint and tender hearted, you may choose to have someone tell you about the book. Again, this is an adoption story and so I was very interested. Kay and her husband and daughter start on an adventure to China. Her husband was assigned there for work, for a couple of years. I think it ended up being 3 or 4. They were in a smaller city, but it had an orphange. Kay was able to get on as...more
This book is not for the weak at heart. The conditions in orphanages overseas can be heartbreaking and make many people want to storm in with our "American" righteousness and tell them they are doing it wrong and force them to do it a different way. This of course never works and only seems to close more doors than it opens.
Kay Bratt learned to work within a very broken system. She learned when she should walk away, and picked which battles to fight. While it may be heartbreaking to read about...more
Kay Bratt learned to work within a very broken system. She learned when she should walk away, and picked which battles to fight. While it may be heartbreaking to read about...more
In 2003 Kay Bratt was leaving her comfortable life in the United States and heading to rural China for four years as her husband was sent there to head up a team that was opening a new factory. Amanda, their youngest daughter would be travelling to China with them but Kay’s eldest daughter, Heather, decided to stay in the United States and live with her birth father.
Kay’s first impression of China was disappointing at best and it took her quite some time to become used to the poverty, the over-c...more
Kay’s first impression of China was disappointing at best and it took her quite some time to become used to the poverty, the over-c...more
As an adoptive parent I felt I needed to read this book. Hard to say I enjoyed it...but I appreciated the perspective, her efforts and the story. I disagree with so many of the reviews of this book. Maybe the need of an adoptive parent(especially a china family) to understand and appreciate.
International adoption is not for the faint at heart, and it is so important to go in with eyes wide open!
I can appreciate her point of view of china, from our short time there I can totally relate and can't...more
International adoption is not for the faint at heart, and it is so important to go in with eyes wide open!
I can appreciate her point of view of china, from our short time there I can totally relate and can't...more
Although I admire Kay for getting up and actually doing something and bringing these horrors to my attention I didnt really like the book and it became a chore to finish. The decision to go to China was very hurriedly dealt with and for such a big move they seemed poorly prepared.
The book starts with promise with a chinese woman abandoning her baby near the orphanage. However the rest of the book is a diary format of Kay's time in China and it became boring and repetitive. I was uneasy hoping t...more
The book starts with promise with a chinese woman abandoning her baby near the orphanage. However the rest of the book is a diary format of Kay's time in China and it became boring and repetitive. I was uneasy hoping t...more
Kay Bratt's Silent Tears uses journal entries in which she pieces together a book about her years in China. Though she remains having a rather ethnocentric view of her work and of the orphanages, you can see a change in her attitude and in her experiences during the time she is there.
I gave it three stars because the writing is nothing special, and some of the information is not new to me about Chinese orphanages. There are so many people there, and so many neglected, it's a wonder how they are...more
I gave it three stars because the writing is nothing special, and some of the information is not new to me about Chinese orphanages. There are so many people there, and so many neglected, it's a wonder how they are...more
This memoir is about many things: harsh realities of a Chinese Orphanage, living as an expatriate, being a mother and a wife, navigating culture and serving your passions. Many passages are hard-hitting and tug at the heart-strings with unbelievable force. At times, the writing, which is presented in journal format/excerpts from the authors journal, feels like just that - raw emotions which paint a country and it's people too harshly and too drastically from the vantage point of Western ideology...more
Mar 16, 2012
Darlene
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Those interested in China
Recommended to Darlene by:
Kay Bratt
Shelves:
china,
children,
depression,
disabilities,
kindle,
memoir,
strong-fem,
adoption,
orphans,
lending-enabled,
booklending
This is a book of emotions. If Kay Bratt's The Bridge made me cry, Silent Tears made me throw the Kleenex box in disgust. I loved that Ms. Bratt would describe the emotional roller coaster her own thoughts took her on, and the more reasonable conclusions she would finally come to. I don't know if I could have found my way back to reason and wisdom as she did. I felt I would have been a whirling dervish of anger at the wrongs done to these small ones.
Though Kay does profess her faith, she doesn't...more
Though Kay does profess her faith, she doesn't...more
I ordered this immediately after finishing Kay Bratt's book "The Bridge." This is her story of
moving to China with her husband and her daughter. She started as a volunteer in an orphanage there and ended up doing so very much for all of the children there, the conditions they were in were not good at all, no cribs, not enough help for the children to obtain personal attention, not to mention human love, medical attention. It was a very eye opening story and Kay Bratt is obviously a wonderful hum...more
moving to China with her husband and her daughter. She started as a volunteer in an orphanage there and ended up doing so very much for all of the children there, the conditions they were in were not good at all, no cribs, not enough help for the children to obtain personal attention, not to mention human love, medical attention. It was a very eye opening story and Kay Bratt is obviously a wonderful hum...more
I bought this book on a whim, then regretted it because it didn't seem like one I'd get into. Quite the contrary. This is one of the best books i've read this year, and i've read a lot this year.
The book is literally a series of journal entries but it's written very well and reads very much like a novel.
I found the first half of the book very hard to read. Not physically but emotionally. It's so well written and very descriptive, that it's heartbreaking! The tales of these helpless orphans, and...more
The book is literally a series of journal entries but it's written very well and reads very much like a novel.
I found the first half of the book very hard to read. Not physically but emotionally. It's so well written and very descriptive, that it's heartbreaking! The tales of these helpless orphans, and...more
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This was a free book on from Amazon on my Kindle. Unlike the old adage, this time I received considerably more than I paid for.
This is a memoir of four years spent in China by a woman who donates time to a Chinese orphanage which is filled with abandoned children, many of them with special needs. Initially she spends only one day a week at the orphanage, but quickly becomes considerably more involved in organizing others to visit, raising money, working with the officials to get permission for...more
This is a memoir of four years spent in China by a woman who donates time to a Chinese orphanage which is filled with abandoned children, many of them with special needs. Initially she spends only one day a week at the orphanage, but quickly becomes considerably more involved in organizing others to visit, raising money, working with the officials to get permission for...more
[sigh] I haven't thought about orphanages for a long time. I think that life ebbs and flows--and I just haven't been in "that place" for a few years. This book is tough to read, but I found myself finding a redemptive element in the end; despite the not-so-happy ending.
Truthfully, based upon my own personal experiences, I've seen some of what she describes--and not just in Chinese orphanages. I think that this is a global issue. It is a difficult thing to think about when we have to consider the...more
Truthfully, based upon my own personal experiences, I've seen some of what she describes--and not just in Chinese orphanages. I think that this is a global issue. It is a difficult thing to think about when we have to consider the...more
I have had a deep interest in Chinese adoptions for a long time, so this book seemed right up my alley. The story is at once horrifying, gut-wrenching, unbelievably sad, but also hopeful and optimistic. The author, through her diary offerings, describes the truth about the Chinese orphanage (she volunteered in) that adoptive parents and foreign visitors seldom see. While painful to read, I couldn't put the book down and had to finish it as quickly as I could. The author was able to make a lastin...more
I loved the detailed descriptions of the orphanage Kay Bratt was involved with in China! It gave me a new perspective of the Chinese children I know who have been adopted here in the US. I especially liked how after some time, Mrs. Bratt was able to understand the reasons behind some of the treatments that she had initially thought were cruel.
Even though the content was excellent, I didn’t like the book’s format. I understand that it’s based on a journal, but it highlighted Mrs. Bratt's negativ...more
Even though the content was excellent, I didn’t like the book’s format. I understand that it’s based on a journal, but it highlighted Mrs. Bratt's negativ...more
The author is an American expat living in a small town in China. She starts volunteering at an orphanage with awful conditions, and tries to bring some humanity to the lives of the poor children who are stuck there. Some of her descriptions are horrific and really made me wonder about the Chinese people: people who would abandon a girl child for no other reason than her gender, or abandon a child with a disability because of the shame it caused. An interesting if repetitive book. The woman seems...more
I would give it 4 stars but it was so sad to read about these poor children in China, that I couldn't stop thinking about it (made me depressed). She chronicles her daily life while she was in China and working at the orphanage. There were custom differences to overcome on top of trying to show the Chinese women, who she worked with, that it is ok to show compassion and love to these children. So when things "started" to get better for the children, I put the book down. I just couldn't finish. I...more
Interesting book about an Expat volunteering in an orphanage in China. Touching, and difficult at times. Most interesting was the change in her attitude in the beginning of being submissive and not wanting to offend to her more assertive pro-active actions to try to influence change in the orphanage after serving for several years.Of course her efforts in fundraising and providing needed supplies gave her some advantage in being heard.Her kindness to the nursery workers showed that we all need t...more
This book was very well written but hard to read because of it's content! Kay Bratt spent many years in China volunteering at a Chinese orphanage and how she described the way these children were treated made me so very sad! The infants were kept in a cold room in cribs and nothing to play with or look at and were diaper changed very little because of a lack of diapers and nurses to change them! When they were fed a bottle, they had a little time and when that time was over the bottle went to an...more
Sad, heartbreaking, could only read half way thru the book and I started having nightmares. Every person that completes their journey to China and back with a daughter in tow, has my utmost admiration! Those little girls (and boys) all need loving homes that they deserve.
The writing is just okay. I did find that the author repeats her dilemma of being an expatriate, etc. However, I do give her credit and guts for trying to help. She was obviously in a tough situation. How she held her tongue and...more
The writing is just okay. I did find that the author repeats her dilemma of being an expatriate, etc. However, I do give her credit and guts for trying to help. She was obviously in a tough situation. How she held her tongue and...more
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Kay Bratt is a child advocate and author, residing in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in South Carolina with her husband, daughter, dog, and cat. Kay lived in China for over four years and because of her experiences working with orphans, she strives to be the voice for children who cannot speak for themselves. She is currently an active volunteer for the non-profit organization called An...more
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