China Run

A Novel

De: David Ball

Narrado por: George Guidall

Critically acclaimed author David Ball pens the compelling story of six American families and their desperate attempt to keep their newly adopted Chinese children. Before leaving China, authorities demand the infants be returned without offering the slightest explanation. What if three of the families refuse? What if they risk everything and attempt a renegade run through China with the babies?

Featuring a pulse-pounding narration by George Guidall, China Run will keep listeners on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

©2002 David W. Ball (P)2002 Recorded Books, LLC

Terrifying (Fictional) Chinese Adoption Ordeal

I think I would not want to read this book if I was a would-be adoptive parent. It was pretty terrifying -- everything that could go wrong did go wrong in this fictional account of American couples adopting babies in the Peoples' Republic of China.

The setting is at least a decade ago -- but it doesn't seem dated -- although I was silently thinking that "surely things have changed for the better" as I listened. The premise of the story is simple: Chinese babies are promised to and then given to American parents who immediately bond with their babies. Then greed, avarice and corruption interrupt the idyllic possibilities with demands that the babies be returned; and force difficult, even impossible decisions to be made. The main character of the story makes the decision not to relinquish her baby as directed by the Chinese police and thus begins the hiding, running and overcoming to save one little life--that of a baby girl who has stolen her adoptive mother's heart; and soon wins over her adoptive brother too.

This is a good story, but one that has so many "problems" crop up that it is a bit daunting to keep up with all of them. Goodness wins in the end, but not without a great deal of heartache, some violence and death in the process.

Chapters out of order

After the prologue in chapter one (about ten minutes in) it jumps way far into the book. I know this book very well. The actual chapter one begins at chapter two.