Molly by Any Other Name

by Jean Davies Okimoto

Overview

Where did she come from? Molly Jane Fletcher was adopted. She's known it for as long as she can remember. It's not something that usually bothers her, but lately, it's all she can think about. Now Molly has a chance to find her birthmother--a chance to understand where she came from, and why she was given away. But the Fletchers aren't happy about her decision to unearth the past. They're afraid that everyone involved may get hurt. That's a chance that Molly may be willing to take. "Skillfully and sensitively written can make you laugh and cry at a single sitting." -Voice of Youth Advocates "Okimoto writes about the elemental search for roots, the fear as well as the great happiness it can bring." -Booklist "A book that goes beyond the adoption topic to encompass family feelings and dynamics." -School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780982316788
Publisher:	Endicott & Hugh Books
Publication date:	06/07/2011
Pages:	246
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.52(d)
Age Range:	12 - 15 Years

Editorial Reviews

Gr 7-10-- Molly, 17, is an Asian-American who was adopted as an infant by Caucasian parents. Having lived unquestioningly with her curiosity about her birth parents, she decides to try and locate them. At first her adoptive parents are hurt and angry, but they eventually decide to support her and to accompany her when she meets her birth mother and half-brother. Molly's best friend, Roland, also an Asian-American, boosts her morale through most of this process, but then seems to be interested in someone else. By the book's end, their relationship has grown from friendship to love. Arranged in three sections, the story relates Molly's search, her birth mother's reactions, and their eventual meeting. Much like Hadley Irwin's Kim/Kimi (McElderry, 1987), the main character finds she is of Japanese-Canadian descent. Okimoto's treatment of the subject, however, does a far better job of describing the feelings and emotions of the characters, particularly the adults. A book that goes beyond the adoption topic to encompass family feelings and dynamics. --Bonnie L. Raasch, C. B. Vernon Middle School, Marion, IA

School Library Journal