Sonderbooks Book Review of China Run

Reviewed September 5, 2002.
A Sonderbooks' Best Book of 2002 (#6, Fiction)
Simon & Schuster, 2002. 384 pages.
Available at Sembach Library.

China Run is the best thriller I’ve read in a long time. Allison Turk has gone to China to adopt a baby. At the last minute, her husband wasn’t able to come, but she has her 9-year-old stepson, Tyler, along. After four days, she has fallen in love with her new baby. Then the Chinese officials tell the six adopting families that there has been a mistake, and they will have to give the babies back. They will get new babies after the weekend.

Two of the other adopting families decide that they won’t comply. Allison joins them as they refuse to give up the babies and try to make a run for an American embassy.

Maybe I found this extra believable after hearing about my friend Ruth’s experiences adopting children in the Ukraine. (Ruth, I’m not sure if you should read this one--It might strike too close to home. On the other hand, it would make your own adoption experiences seem like a lovely and simple process!)

Allison Turk has just enough good luck to get away. That’s about where her luck stops. As more and more circumstances go against her, we can’t imagine how she’ll ever get out of this one. The book is full of tension and excitement. It’s a thriller, so don’t expect deep insights on life. If you’re in the mood for an exciting story that will completely draw you in, this book fills the bill beautifully.

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Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

*****China Run*

by David Ball