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Too Much Soul: The Journey of an Asian Southern Belle
Join Cindy on her journey from being adopted in Seoul, Korea by an African American couple to growing up in the Dirty South…Jackson, MS! See how she fights and loves her way through life as she searches for her identity and discovers her place in the world despite the strongholds that society tries to place on her.
As unique as her life is, what will resonate is the humanity of her experiences with her family, friends, those that have impacted her life as well as the lives of those she has impacted.
Become a part of her growth and glow as she continues on her journey of self-discovery, encouraging herself and others to be their most empowered, authentic selves!
“Love is the beauty of the soul.” - Saint Augustine
#TooMuchSoul
As unique as her life is, what will resonate is the humanity of her experiences with her family, friends, those that have impacted her life as well as the lives of those she has impacted.
Become a part of her growth and glow as she continues on her journey of self-discovery, encouraging herself and others to be their most empowered, authentic selves!
“Love is the beauty of the soul.” - Saint Augustine
#TooMuchSoul
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 17, 2018
25 people are currently reading
738 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 13, 2019
I received a copy of this ebook through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I really, really wanted to like this book because I grew up in a similar situation.
My biggest issue with the book was the structure. The book was all over the place story-wise - we'd read a few paragraphs that gloss over things like getting bullied and then come back to them later or share specific instances of racism and only quote one line of what was said and while memoir's don't need to be linear to be enjoyable I feel like I spent a lot of time thinking 'okay something is going to happen now that will cause emotional development or be an anecdote' and I felt like it never really came together. I'm also not sure if it was just a Kindle issue but there was some weird formatting stuff where Wilson would be referring to her mother and brother by those titles but then the third paragraph in would start using their names or would introduce acronyms such as HBU or MBA and then not define the acronym until a few sentences later when it would have made sense to define them the first time or not at all.
I really wish this book had gone more into depth about...anything. Like what was Wilson's experience in graduate school? Or college? Or specific stories instead of general ideas? There is a bit of wrap up around the end but it felt hasty and again doesn't really dig into race and ethnicity from an analytical point of view so much as 'this is what happened'. I also didn't love that the book is in past tense but then the end jumps to the present.
I can see why some people like the book and maybe if you grew up the majority in a place I can see how some of these ideas and experiences are new to you. I think the book would have been better with a bit more editing but has some good thoughts.
I really, really wanted to like this book because I grew up in a similar situation.
My biggest issue with the book was the structure. The book was all over the place story-wise - we'd read a few paragraphs that gloss over things like getting bullied and then come back to them later or share specific instances of racism and only quote one line of what was said and while memoir's don't need to be linear to be enjoyable I feel like I spent a lot of time thinking 'okay something is going to happen now that will cause emotional development or be an anecdote' and I felt like it never really came together. I'm also not sure if it was just a Kindle issue but there was some weird formatting stuff where Wilson would be referring to her mother and brother by those titles but then the third paragraph in would start using their names or would introduce acronyms such as HBU or MBA and then not define the acronym until a few sentences later when it would have made sense to define them the first time or not at all.
I really wish this book had gone more into depth about...anything. Like what was Wilson's experience in graduate school? Or college? Or specific stories instead of general ideas? There is a bit of wrap up around the end but it felt hasty and again doesn't really dig into race and ethnicity from an analytical point of view so much as 'this is what happened'. I also didn't love that the book is in past tense but then the end jumps to the present.
I can see why some people like the book and maybe if you grew up the majority in a place I can see how some of these ideas and experiences are new to you. I think the book would have been better with a bit more editing but has some good thoughts.
January 6, 2019
The popular narrative of transracial Korean adoptees is that they flourish in middle class white families and communities and maneuver smoothly through a life full of privilege and colorblindness. Whereas this experience might be true for some, it is definitely not the reality for all Korean adoptees (KADs). Many KADs struggle with issues surrounding identity, race, class, isolation, or mental health and well-being. I commend Cindy for telling her story, and sharing how she was able to persevere through her own struggles with race, identity, and the desire to belong. She presents a different narrative of transracial KADs, one that is essential to a community that is typically misrepresented and misunderstood. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and discovering how Cindy’s unique life experiences influenced her to become an incredible bridge builder within a complex world. Cheers to finding your tribe!
October 24, 2019
Wow. Here is a book I was totally wrong about. I almost stopped reading it before I was halfway through because Cindy Wilson wrote two books here.
Unfortunately, she started with the wrong one. 3/4 of the book is a narrative of her life growing up in the South as an adopted Korean child in an African American family. She tells you all about her experiences, but she never quite lets you in. She sounds like any other entitled Southern woman you may have met from any culture or big city.
However, the tone of the book completely flip flops 75% of the way through. She stops telling you superficially about her experiences, and begins to express her true self on topics of inclusion, race, religion, acceptance, family and how much work we have to do to make our world better.
That was the book I was looking for in the beginning. That is the Cindy Wilson I would be proud to claim as a friend.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review on Goodreads.
Unfortunately, she started with the wrong one. 3/4 of the book is a narrative of her life growing up in the South as an adopted Korean child in an African American family. She tells you all about her experiences, but she never quite lets you in. She sounds like any other entitled Southern woman you may have met from any culture or big city.
However, the tone of the book completely flip flops 75% of the way through. She stops telling you superficially about her experiences, and begins to express her true self on topics of inclusion, race, religion, acceptance, family and how much work we have to do to make our world better.
That was the book I was looking for in the beginning. That is the Cindy Wilson I would be proud to claim as a friend.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review on Goodreads.
August 31, 2018
"Too Much Soul" is a fascinating contemplation of the role of race in a America through the eyes of a thoroughly unique American experience.
May 24, 2020
Some very interesting content but marred by poor structure and writing
April 9, 2019
I won this book in a giveaway. The author of this book has a Master's degree, and is obviously very intelligent. The study questions she came up with at the end are well thought out. There is a paragraph where she mentions talking with a friend of hers, an American born Chinese, about the "false sense of inclusion." That sounded like an interesting, relevant conversation. However, she didn't share it with us. She didn't really share anything with us on more than a passing, surface level. When her best friend betrays her, we don't get a heartfelt, detailed description. She alludes to her poor relationship with her mother, and mentions something completely horrible that her mother did to her, but doesn't truly talk about that either. We get a lot of slang and forced humor, and she sounds like a teenage girl talking to her friends instead of the intelligent, successful business woman that she is.
April 10, 2023
The book wasn’t bad. I finished it in about an hour. The “chapters” aren’t numbered but titled. Some are short which makes the book a quick read. The author touched on figuring out her identity as an Asian woman on the outside but raised as a Black person in the South. Of course, she speaks about how bullying was part of her journey and the development of tough skin. She also speaks highly about how God is sign of ant in her life. The author gives advice for other adoptive parents who may adopt from different races.
March 2, 2022
Very Good! The book explores the author’s perspective on race, culture, and ethnicity. She’s honest about her journey of self-discovery that includes the search for her own identity and “tribe” and continues to evolve. There is discussion about childhood bullying, family dynamics, and young womanhood.
This book has motivational aspects, a cute narrative, and humor. There are recognizable Southern Black customs and colloquialisms rooted in wisdom and social etiquette. I appreciate reading about the other side of the transracial adoption spectrum-when African-Americans adopt children of a different race. This was a very enjoyable book to read!
This book has motivational aspects, a cute narrative, and humor. There are recognizable Southern Black customs and colloquialisms rooted in wisdom and social etiquette. I appreciate reading about the other side of the transracial adoption spectrum-when African-Americans adopt children of a different race. This was a very enjoyable book to read!
March 11, 2019
*I won a Kindle copy of this book from Goodreads Giveaways.*
I think these stories would be really interesting to hear rather than to read. The book made good points and had enjoyable parts, but never felt fully developed. It read more like a transcript of someone talking about their life to a new friend without really getting into the nitty gritty.
Speaking technically, better editing could have been done to help with the flow. There were superfluous commas and not enough commas. Topic changes were sometimes a bit abrupt.
I think these stories would be really interesting to hear rather than to read. The book made good points and had enjoyable parts, but never felt fully developed. It read more like a transcript of someone talking about their life to a new friend without really getting into the nitty gritty.
Speaking technically, better editing could have been done to help with the flow. There were superfluous commas and not enough commas. Topic changes were sometimes a bit abrupt.
January 14, 2019
I received a free copy of this ebook as a recipient of a Goodreads First Read Giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
I always hate giving memoirs two-stars because who am I to judge what shaped their lives, right? But this book honestly was difficult to finish. I almost even put it down after the introduction because I’m really not into let-me-shove-religion-down-your-throat type of books. And this is definitely one of them. Not only was it in-your-face religious, but very racially divided in a way that I wasn’t expecting. Also, there is literally no organization or much depth to this book at all. It’s almost as if the author sat down and haphazardly jotted down her random thoughts of what she wanted to include in the memoir and then never reread, edited, or touched it again and just published it. I mean there was zero explanation for anything that she faced or went through. She would mention things briefly and you’d be like “ok this sounds interesting” just to get to the next paragraph and it would be something totally different. Definitely not my cup of tea, would not recommend.
I always hate giving memoirs two-stars because who am I to judge what shaped their lives, right? But this book honestly was difficult to finish. I almost even put it down after the introduction because I’m really not into let-me-shove-religion-down-your-throat type of books. And this is definitely one of them. Not only was it in-your-face religious, but very racially divided in a way that I wasn’t expecting. Also, there is literally no organization or much depth to this book at all. It’s almost as if the author sat down and haphazardly jotted down her random thoughts of what she wanted to include in the memoir and then never reread, edited, or touched it again and just published it. I mean there was zero explanation for anything that she faced or went through. She would mention things briefly and you’d be like “ok this sounds interesting” just to get to the next paragraph and it would be something totally different. Definitely not my cup of tea, would not recommend.
July 1, 2020
Of course it was the synopsis that drew me to this book. I just had to know what it was like for a Korean child adopted by a black America family, growing up in Jackson, Mississippi. On this one, I'm with Cindy 100%! This is one of the rarest stories I've come across. So far I can count on one hand using two fingers how many stories of this unique variety I've read. Too Much Soul would be one!
Overall, I respected Cindy's insight and her motivation to be that “fly on the wall”. Learning about each other, rather than judging people by what they look like is a noble humanity cause. Nice quick read. Highly recommended.
Overall, I respected Cindy's insight and her motivation to be that “fly on the wall”. Learning about each other, rather than judging people by what they look like is a noble humanity cause. Nice quick read. Highly recommended.
January 31, 2019
I won this book on Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
I was underwhelmed by this book. It felt like it could be so much more. The description promised a look at race and how we define ourselves, and I kind of see that, but I feel like it wasn’t touched on much and the author did very little introspection for her book. It read more like a good long talk with a friend over a bottle of wine. It was interesting to hear about, but I don’t feel like I am more educated on race or adoption than I was before. I just know a lot about Cindy Wilson.
I was underwhelmed by this book. It felt like it could be so much more. The description promised a look at race and how we define ourselves, and I kind of see that, but I feel like it wasn’t touched on much and the author did very little introspection for her book. It read more like a good long talk with a friend over a bottle of wine. It was interesting to hear about, but I don’t feel like I am more educated on race or adoption than I was before. I just know a lot about Cindy Wilson.
April 13, 2021
lowkey glad to be done with this. almost gave up halfway through because, shockingly, despite the innate intrigue of wilson’s unique life circumstances, it was s o b o r i n g. 80% of it seemed very surface-level, as if it was written for a school project and didn’t require the vulnerability that makes stories like these so interesting. this was disappointing because it had immense potential, however, i might have enjoyed it in middle/high school (not a dig, just a comment on complexity—or lack thereof—in the writing).
overall consensus: skip this one.
overall consensus: skip this one.
May 31, 2021
What a unique read. Being from Mississippi myself I really enjoyed reading about Cindy’s story. The pacing was a little off but I think that is some of its charm. This book should be essential reading for college age students on race relations. I think it’s a light and palatable experience to provide a worldview other than your own. Recommend, especially in the times we live.
July 22, 2019
A personal glimpse into the life of a Korean-born girl adopted into a black family in the deep South. Intrigued by the juxtaposition, I read it from cover to cover on a day of airport hopping. I enjoyed Wilson's storytelling, especially the descriptions of her family members. She is unapologetic about her faith and does not hesitate sharing trying times in her journey. I am taking one star away for publisher oversights and the lack of photos in this touching biography. I think her publisher could have done a few things to make the printing a little less distracting (I have a graphic design background, maybe I'm too picky). These oversights did not deter from a well-written narrative! I recommend the book to friends and any family considering a cross-cultural adoption. Best wishes to Cindy in her journey!
January 23, 2021
I’m so disappointed. What could have been an extremely unique experience and perspective was destroyed by lack of editing, structuring, or depth.
In terms of proofreading, I was surprised she had even listed an editor. I counted an average of 4 grammatical errors per page. There were issues on knowing how paragraphs should be broken out. And, it was just hard to follow - jumping from one topic to another with no rhyme or reason. Some of the sections felt more like a listing of events than an in depth look of her life.
Ignoring grammar errors and copy editing mistakes, the extreme surface level discussion on racial topics was what got to me. A so called advocate for race and diversity has to understand that there are more nuanced takes on race than racism bad, just love everybody.
In terms of proofreading, I was surprised she had even listed an editor. I counted an average of 4 grammatical errors per page. There were issues on knowing how paragraphs should be broken out. And, it was just hard to follow - jumping from one topic to another with no rhyme or reason. Some of the sections felt more like a listing of events than an in depth look of her life.
Ignoring grammar errors and copy editing mistakes, the extreme surface level discussion on racial topics was what got to me. A so called advocate for race and diversity has to understand that there are more nuanced takes on race than racism bad, just love everybody.
June 8, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Cindy's experience, the casual tone in which the book is written makes it feel even more personal.
I like that she explores all ranges of topics and shares her perspective and how all the events in her life have shaped her into the person she is today. I also think that it goes to show to others that we all go through the same or at least very similar life experiences in terms of family or self-identity; it doesn't matter whether we were raised by our biological parents or our adopted ones. Family is family, love is love.
I truly hope more stories like these are shared, thank you Cindy!
I like that she explores all ranges of topics and shares her perspective and how all the events in her life have shaped her into the person she is today. I also think that it goes to show to others that we all go through the same or at least very similar life experiences in terms of family or self-identity; it doesn't matter whether we were raised by our biological parents or our adopted ones. Family is family, love is love.
I truly hope more stories like these are shared, thank you Cindy!
October 25, 2019
Awesome journey
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, and I was pleasantly surprised. Ms. Wilson's story was quite interesting and enlightening. I have to believe her experiences are unique and her perspective is refreshing. Her ability to view her experiences from the other perspective is what makes her an outstanding singular voice in the race discussion. I walked away from my reading thinking that I would like to have her as a friend. Good luck to you, unique, and awesome young lady! It has been said, that the people crazy enough to believe they can change world usually are the ones that do!
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, and I was pleasantly surprised. Ms. Wilson's story was quite interesting and enlightening. I have to believe her experiences are unique and her perspective is refreshing. Her ability to view her experiences from the other perspective is what makes her an outstanding singular voice in the race discussion. I walked away from my reading thinking that I would like to have her as a friend. Good luck to you, unique, and awesome young lady! It has been said, that the people crazy enough to believe they can change world usually are the ones that do!
April 4, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Too Much Soul! As we face the hardships of race and identity in America, this book is a refreshing take on how one "does the work" to create their own path while facing challenges head on. The theme of the book is reflective of her experiences dealing with race throughout different parts of her life and how she overcame trials while embracing successes along the way. It's an easy read that I hope will leave you more understanding of people's experiences and choosing to dig deeper prior to making assumptions.
January 13, 2019
I was hoping to read more about the author's daily life growing up - i.e. escapades with her brother, other family members, her debut is society, etc. - to have a fuller picture of her experience. The book tends to proselytize, not so much about religion but race. While I do understand that this was a key part of her life, it makes the book seem repetitive & preachy, which lessens one's enjoyment. I received a Kindle edition from a Goodreads giveaway.
March 24, 2019
Wonderful book! Very captivating story and easy read! The author had such a unique experience of being Korean and being adopted into a black family and growing up in the deep south. She talks candidly about her journey of self discovery while navigating the racial complexities of society to find her place in the world.
March 27, 2019
I really enjoyed this book! Loved how detail you were when it came to you adapting to the African American culture,I really felt like I was on the Journey with you.Your story inspired me that regardless of your situation you still embraced who you are, and there's nothing wrong with being your self.
June 13, 2019
Story about being a korean child adopted by an african american family. Being raised no differently then any other child. But society thinks other wise. Seeing how society treats her family differently because of the color of their skin. Embracing and being open to other cultures and religion. Love One Another No Matter Your Color or Your Ethnicity.
April 2, 2019
I loved this book! The author did a great job telling her story... the ups, the downs, her growth. Just an all around great read!
January 6, 2020
Compelling
Well written, first book. Lots of observations and lots of introspection. I enjoyed this immensely. I would recommend this book.
Well written, first book. Lots of observations and lots of introspection. I enjoyed this immensely. I would recommend this book.
March 1, 2021
Cindy Wilson is bursting with love and compassion. I’m sure we could enjoy a long meandering conversation on various weighted topics. Her online persona is fierce and her unusual adoption fascinates me. At times, I found myself wishing she would go a little deeper. That said, she’s obviously a dynamic woman making an impact on many. Looking forward to her work in progress, and following her unique journey.
March 17, 2019
Thought proving, powerful.... right on time.
With the current state of our nation hurting from deep seated racial tension, injustice and lack of effective communication; Cindy Wilson’s “Too Much Soul” couldn’t be released at a more beneficial time.
Wilson uses her own life story to be a catalyst for self reflection, acceptance, forgiveness and ultimately positive change. Because of excellent word choice and vivid imagery, “Too Much Soul” is very easy to read and understand. I felt like I was a first hand witness along side Wilson during her life struggles, challenges, success and victories. This book has the ability to touch you at the core of your soul and encourage you to leave everyone you meet in a better place than where you found them.
There is no way you can read this book and not want to be a better human being.
With the current state of our nation hurting from deep seated racial tension, injustice and lack of effective communication; Cindy Wilson’s “Too Much Soul” couldn’t be released at a more beneficial time.
Wilson uses her own life story to be a catalyst for self reflection, acceptance, forgiveness and ultimately positive change. Because of excellent word choice and vivid imagery, “Too Much Soul” is very easy to read and understand. I felt like I was a first hand witness along side Wilson during her life struggles, challenges, success and victories. This book has the ability to touch you at the core of your soul and encourage you to leave everyone you meet in a better place than where you found them.
There is no way you can read this book and not want to be a better human being.
March 23, 2019
I really enjoyed this read. The author was very transparent throughout and you feel like you are getting to know her personally while learning her amazing story.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews