Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: GIRL UPROOTED by Lena Lee

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Girl Uprooted: A Memoir

by Lena Lee

Genre: Memoir

Published: 2023

*Please note that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Lena tells her story of growing up as the daughter of a South Korean diplomat. She shares the hardships of balancing the traditions of Confucian values at home and western thoughts and culture in the various countries and international schools she attended. Lena is honest in what brought her joy as a child, what confused her and what she is still learning about herself today. Often she is confronted with the typical question that many TCKs deal with: “Where is home? Where do I belong?”. But, as more research is showing these questions are complicated, especially for TCKs not from a western culture.

The reader is invited into Lena’s life. She is vulnerable in what she shares, which makes her brave. She has a strong voice, which is something I love in books. Her story is unique because it is her story, but I believe that the issues she battled is not unique to many TCKs who come from families of cultures that are similar to hers. She brings a face, a life, to the research that is being done.

I highly recommend it to teachers at international schools and are not familiar with East Asian cultures. I honestly believe it will help teachers understand their student(s) better – to maybe even give them the right questions to ask as their students navigate life. Adolescence is not always easy, and we need to have better understanding so that we can help. I believe it is a must read for international educators as Lena shares what your students may not feel comfortable sharing with you unless you build that relationship and ask.

I do give warning that this book is for more mature readers (upper level high-school and above) because of the issues of mental health issues of anxiety and depression.

Book Review: FROM BURNED OUT TO BELOVED by Bethany Dearborn Hiser

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From Burned Out to Beloved: Soul Care for Wounded Healers

by Bethany Dearborn Hiser

*Please note as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Bethany has worn many hats that involve “secondary trauma”, so her book comes from a place of experience and understanding. She invites the reader into her own personal story of burnout and recovery. She explains that trauma affects everyone who is exposed. This includes the people who listen to the stories of survivors. This is “secondary trauma”.

The back cover really describes this book well: “It’s a trauma-informed soul care guide for all Christians working in high-stress, helping professions.”

The book is divided into four-parts titled: Centering, Unpacking, Recovering, and Thriving. Each chapter offers reflection questions to help the reader process and tend to their own souls. She also provides exercises to help, as well as, other resources for further help and guidance.

Bethany doesn’t offer answers or a prescribed formula, but rather guides the reader in their own journey to taking care of their own soul.

I highly recommend this, but with a few warnings. Know that you will need to slow down and make space in your life to do the hard work. It will take time, and that this book is to help prevent burnout. So, if you are passed prevention, seek support from a trusted counselor who can walk alongside you.

Book Review: GRIT TO STAY GRACE TO GO by Sue Eenigenburg and Eva Burkholder

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Grit to Stay Grace to Go: Staying Well in Cross-Cultural Ministry

by Sue Eenigenburg and Eva Burkholder

Published: 2023

*Please note that I earn from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate.

Sue and Eva wrote this book with global workers in mind. Both authors have spent many years overseas with several relocations, so they have personal experience writing this book. But they also interviewed countless others and researched articles and books, making their work stand out.

It is a workbook designed to be helpful to those who stay, those who leave, and those who are trying to decide what they should do. A section is dedicated to each of those groups. Every chapter includes reflection questions with biblical passages to reflect on, response questions to dig a bit deeper, a short prayer, and a list of resources that offers readers other articles, books, or videos to help them even further.

Whether you are a newbie or a veteran, I highly recommend this book because I believe you will refer to it repeatedly.

Book Review: EXPECTATIONS and BURNOUT by Sue Eenigenburg and Robynn Bliss

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Expectations and Burnout: Women Surviving the Great Commission

by Sue Eenigenburg and Robynn Bliss

*Please note as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sue Eenigenburg’s dissertation linked expectations women serving on the mission field have of themselves or others thrust upon them to burnout. She explores expectations that women have of herself, her sending agency has on her, the sending church may have, her co-workers, the host culture, and even expectations she may have of God. When these expectations go unmet they can cause stress, anxiety and even frustration which if left covered and not exposed and dealt with leads to burnout.

Robynn Bliss adds the human touch to the research that Sue has done. As an ATCK, Robynn shares her story that led to her experience of burnout. She is vulnerable and real with the hard truth of her own expectations and how she tried to push through.

This book is not just for women on the mission field, but it is a great resource for sending churches, agencies, or people in member care roles to help them evaluate their own expectations that they may have on their female team members. And then to find ways of adjusting procedures and policies to encourage these courageous women of faith to continue to thrive, not just survive in the place that God has them.

Book Review: NAVIGATING GLOBAL TRANSITIONS AGAIN by Frances Early, Jeni Ward, and Kath Williams

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Navigating Global Transitions Again: A Journey of Faith – Graduate Planner

by Frances Early, Jeni Ward, and Kath Williiams

*Please note as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Like the title says it is a journey of faith by taking the soon to be graduate on a study of Galatians and relating it to where they are in life. The scripture is printed out on the pages and followed by questions that can be answered by the reader. This is nice as the reader does not need to look up Scripture and we all know that time is precious for those in this age group.

It is also a planner that starts twelve months before graduation and ends twelve months after. There are check lists of things to think through and do, but also discussion questions or processing questions to help the graduate during this time. The authors note that this can be done as an individual or in a group.

While I think the idea is great and needed (and I’ll be buying one for my soon to be graduate because I got an advanced e-copy), I think it is lacking for an individual to do alone. Most of the questions need to be discussed because this is a new area for the student and sometimes the parent. I think that some of the suggestions need to be explained a bit more in detail to help clarify what the authors want to convey. That being said, a well prepared mentor could use this book to lead and guide graduates in helping them transition.

I also have questions about some of the suggestions for the months before. I’m not sure twelve months before they leave that graduates can find a “bridge” person (if they know what that term means) because most students at this point do not even know which university or program they will choose, let alone what city, state, country. As I have talked with soon to be graduates, they are nervous and feel enough pressure as it is, especially those that really do not know what is next. So, while the checklists are great, a well prepared mentor would be able to help individuals navigate this unknown world a bit better.

There are some great activities for the graduate to do to help them build their RAFT. There are photo suggestions and places to draw maps. In fact, I do love that they have pages called “Wreck this Journal Page” where anything goes. In fact, they have a lot of blank spaces for processing and making notes.

Overall, I think the book has potential to be a good resource for counselors or mentors who work with students in their final year of high school or first year out. It is also a good resource for parents to help think through and have conversation starters. As for individual use, I do think there are a few individuals who could do it, but discussions are always better within a group.

Book Review: THE OTHER SIDE OF SPECIAL by Brown, Clime, and Holt

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THE OTHER SIDE OF SPECIAL: Navigating the Messy, Emotional, Joy-Filled Life of a Special Needs Mom

By: Amy J. Brown, Sara Clime, and Carrie M. Holt

Published: 2023

*Please note as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This may not be a typical book I would review here because it is NOT about TCKs. (But don’t stop reading. Read the next few sentences before you decide this book isn’t for you or someone you know.)

But it is on another topic you know is near and dear to my heart. Plus, you may know someone in your life or community that needs this book. So, here’s my review. 

The title is a little misleading as it says it is for the “Special Needs Mom.” It’s not just for them; I would include the dads, the grandparents, the older siblings, and anyone who works or cares for families that fit this description.  

The chapter titles are simply the best. Here’s a little snippet:  

  • Loneliness to Connection 
  • Grief to Hope 
  • Guilt to Acceptance 
  • Weariness to Rest 
  • Fear to Trust 
  • Disappointment to Gratitude 

Aren’t they just great titles? The other ones are just as great, too. The authors tell you in the intro that you do not have to read the book in a specific order. In fact, if you are feeling guilty, then just read that chapter. Each chapter is relatively short, so it doesn’t take that much time either. 

It is a Christian book, but it is not preachy. In fact, it feels like you are sitting with the three authors having a cup of coffee while they tell you that they understand what you are feeling. They share their stories of feeling guilty and coming to a place of acceptance (or whatever the chapter is on).  

Living overseas with families like mine is hard. There are not many, so the road can be lonely. Though people care, few understand how hard it really can be. I’m not saying that all days are hard – unless it’s just a season of complexity, and then it can be hard days. What I am saying is that this book feels like a friend. The authors have put words to the aches and joys I have felt over the past several years. 

And while that is all good, I think the most helpful part of the book is that at the end of every chapter, they have given space to process. There are 3-5 questions that make you slow down. Stop and mentally take in what you read and apply it to your life.

Picture Book Review: WHEN WE CALLED MYANMAR HOME by Julie Jean Francis

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When We Called Myanmar Home

by Julie Jean Francis

Genre: Picture Book

Published: 2023

*Please note as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Julie writes that this book “was inspired by Cynthia Rylant’s book When I Was Young in the Mountains.” Each page shows a day living in Myanmar before the family had to leave. The photos are captured in a watercolor-type feel, which makes the book not feel like you are looking at someone’s scrapbook or digital photo album. It adds to the creative side of thinking about your life and how you live in your home.

Julie has added a few pages at the end, which is a bonus to the book. She has questions that can be used as conversation starters with your children. These questions accompany the previous pages to help you talk about your home. And there are questions to help your child(ren) process that time during the pandemic. The last page lists resources for parents of third-culture kids, which is also a nice touch.

Book Review: THE PRACTICE OF PROCESSING by Elizabeth Vahey Smith

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Living overseas brings out many emotions from the time you leave your home country to the arrival of your new city. Or take the emotions you have when you watch friends leave to move on to the next destination. But transition is not the only thing that brings out emotions. Hard things happen. That is why it is important to process your emotions, but also the situations you find yourself in.

THE PRACTICE OF PROCESSING by Elizabeth Vahey Smith is just what the book title says. Elizabeth had those who transition often in mind when she wrote this book. It is a book that I found to have the why one should process, but also provides a guide in ways to process. She begins with emotions and how understanding them as “communicative…we can intellectually process the new information they provide” (pp. 18-19). Emotional intelligence is important and she covers that topic well. Elizabeth also provides examples of how to help children process, which is a nice bonus for parents or those working with young people.

If processing is new to you then I would suggest that you look at this book for yourself. Or if you are in member care for your organization, then a nice resource for people who need help in this area.

Book Review: Swirly by Sara Saunders

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Swirly

by Sara Saunders

Genre: Picture Book

Published: 2012

*Please note as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Summary:
Lila and her parents are from Blue Country, where the citizens are blue. They move to Yellow Country and then to Red Country. Lila realizes that she is beginning to look different than her parents, but also different than those living around her. When she finally meets another “swirly” kid, things begin to make sense.

This is a good book for young children to obtain vocabulary for this journey of a TCK. The central theme of “Where do I belong?” is highlighted by the main character, Lila, as she realizes she is not like her parents. It is a Christian book, so the ending may surprise a few with where Lila does find her identity. Overall, I think you will like this book if you are a Christian. If you are not, you might not agree with the ending, or it might make you wonder. Either way, I recommend it for younger children as a simple way of starting a discussion about this topic that TCKs deal with often.

Book Review: RAISING UP A GENERATION OF HEALTHY THIRD CULTURE KIDS by Lauren Wells

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RAISING UP A GENERATION OF HEALTHY THIRD CULTURE KIDS

by Lauren Wells

Published: 2020

Genre: Nonfiction, Resource

*Please note as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Review: 

Lauren Wells created a resource book for parents using her experience and knowledge of third-culture kids. This book takes what encompasses moving and living overseas for children and puts those ideas into a practical guide. Lauren deals with leaving well, unresolved grief, identity, restlessness, and trauma, to name a few of these ideas. 

My Thoughts: 

If you are moving to a country other than your own with kids, you should own this book. Lauren has some great ideas to consider as your children process the move. It is an excellent bridge to understanding the world that your children will experience. It helps you engage in meaningful conversations to help them navigate all the emotions and feelings that they may go through. For me personally, this book was not as helpful. My children were born in Asia and have never lived in their passport countries. I know that TCKs have many of the strengths and challenges others have, but many chapters deal with children leaving their passport country. So, I didn’t find all the chapters applicable to our situation. With that said, I am glad I bought the book because it is a good resource. It has caused me to ponder some of the issues and helped me to start conversations with my teenage TCKs.