Silent Tears

A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage

By: Kay Bratt

Narrated by: Shannon McManus

Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

When her family relocated to rural China in 2003, Kay Bratt was thrust into a new world, one where boys were considered more valuable than girls and poverty and the one-child policy had created an epidemic of abandoned infants. As a volunteer at a local orphanage, Bratt witnessed conditions that were unfathomable to a middle-class mother of two from South Carolina.

Based on Bratt’s diary of her four years at the orphanage, Silent Tears offers a searing account of young lives rendered disposable. In the face of an implacable system, Bratt found ways to work within (and around) the rules to make a better future for the children, whom she came to love. The book offers no easy answers.

While often painful in its clear-sightedness, Silent Tears balances the sadness and struggles of life in the orphanage with moments of joy, optimism, faith, and victory. It is the story of hundreds of children - and of one woman who never planned on becoming a hero but became one anyway.

©2011 Kay Bratt (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Read this in print

Any additional comments?

On one hand, as a book itself, it is compulsively readable, but as an audiobook, it doesn't quite work. It is entirely centered around a journal, which doesn't translate into good audio. I found my mind wandering while I was trying to focus, which is a tragedy, because this book - as a book - is a good read!

Chinese children needing parents.

This book was written by an American expatriate that volunteered in a Chinese Orphanage in the early part of the 2000. She learned what difficulties females were having from the one child policies. She set up a volunteer organization using women expatriates and funds received from Christian churches, doctors, American citizens and Chinese citizens who donated money and care to aide the orphans. An excellent book about Chinese culture from the view of expatriate. Her dairy help her to cope with the situation and educate people about adoption of Chinese children and what it takes to live as a foreigner in another culture. The narration was good and the story educational.

Very informative and enjoyable

I felt that this was probably an accurate explanation of Ms. Bratt's experience. I came to love the kids and the other volunteers. I loved hearing about her travels through China. It was great finding out how the adopted children were faring in America.

I know this volunteer work was tremendously stressful and I appreciate her efforts, just as do all the people whose lives she has changed through the years. If you love kids, you'll probably enjoy this book.

The performer was good, but a little slow. I put it on 1.25 speed just because I am impatient with such deliberate readers.

Nice Journal - Glad When I Finished

The things that occurred in this particular Chinese orphanage were horrific. The courage, the love and the commitment of the women who volunteered I applaud. However, the woman who is reading this journal grated my auditory nerves. Additionally, it seems that there were so many repeats that if left out would have shortened the book without decreasing the journal/story's effect. All in all this was worth reading...worth knowing.

Captivating

I couldn't put this book down. I wanted to know the author's next experience and wished for a happy ending for each of the children. This was a beautiful journal of the ups and downs of life. The author surprised me with her tenacity and ability to restrain herself when needed. Kudos to you and all the volunteers, donors, foster families, adoptive families, caregivers, and those who make a difference through prayer.

Outstanding! Made me appricate living in the USA!!

Would you listen to Silent Tears again? Why?

Yes,I would listen to it again! This make me very thankful of living in a country were we take our freedom and personal rights for granted. It made me aware of children in 3rd world countries.

What other book might you compare Silent Tears to and why?

None comes to mind, no comparision to another I have listen to

Which character – as performed by Shannon McManus – was your favorite?

Kay

Any additional comments?

I am going to buy this in book form to give to my friend's who are going to china in a couple of weeks for a work project.

Definitely "Not for Me"

I found my mind wandering far too often. I really feel that this could have been told in 1/3rd of the time and still been effective. I did not find the performance kept my attention either. The subject matter was important and disturbing but after hearing hour after hour about the same problems with the orphanage I found myself playing it but not listening to it.

eye opening

Inspiring gut-wrenching and eyes opening! Kay’s look into one Chinese Orphanage and how the disabled, abandoned, deformed, unhealthy or just unwanted babies were treated! And the care and compassion she brought them was a true blessing. The narration was excellent.

Good

Sad. I can't believe what these children have and still go through being in a orphanage. My heart breaks for them.Thank you for all the parents who trust in love and guidance

Great Informative Tead

I was thoroughly impressed with the info and honesty of this author. I will never visit China but I know some adopted children from there. One never wonders about foreign adoptions but I am glad to get inspirations about how Kay and her family made them part of her life even when it was difficult. God bless you.

Kay helps children in need

Kay is an American woman whose husband has been transferred to China for work. She, as many who have just moved to a new country, gets lonely and decides to volunteer at a Chinese orphanage. China is poor and a hierarchy is quite strict so no everything is done the way she would've wanted it and struggles with that fact throughout her stay.

I love how honest she is. She talks openly about her struggles, her secret disagreements and her difficulty with seeing pain and suffering at the orphanage. I saw myself in her when she struggled with not being heard when she has an idea and struggled to get through to management, a frustration many have dealt with from time to time. I was interested in how she dealt with it as a human being. Unfortunately, once you've heard about the first struggle and how she dealt with it, you have heard it all. Two years later and it is still the same. If I lost my place in the book, I would probably never find my spot again, because it is all very much the same. I drifted in and out of this book a lot and never felt like I missed anything.