Susan asked Helen Klein Ross:

Just finished listening to "What Was Mine" and loved it. I am a mom, but I also have a sister who adopted 7 children. I couldn't help but wonder how I would feel if my nephews & nieces were suddenly not my nephews & nieces. As far as I am concerned they are my family despite my sister not giving birth to any of them. Will always look at IKEA and remember this book! How much research went into the Chinese culture?

Helen Klein Ross Thanks for reading the book, Susan! Seven children. Wow. Your sister has a big heart. The issue of who are "real" members of a family is something I'm very interested in, and partially propelled me to write the book. As you may have guessed from my story, I don't think that giving birth is the only way to become a mother. I have nieces and nephews, too, who came into the family through adoption and they are as much part of our family as their cousins are.

I did a lot of research into China, but part of the story is based on my own visits there. I started visiting China in 1982 when it opened to individual travelers. Every time I go, I marvel at how many changes there are.

Funny, your association of Ikea with this book. You're not alone, I guess. A friend called to say she'd given the book to her daughter to read and the next time her daughter needed to shop at Ikea, she asked her mother to babysit because she didn't want to take the baby inside. But as far as I know, no babies have ever been kidnapped from Ikea. The story is fiction!

Thanks for your read and your thoughtful input.

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