Book Review: The Bamboo Cradle

Allow me to start off by saying that The Bamboo Cradle did not turn out to be the book I expected it to be, and I was disappointed by that. It focused less on the actual adoption of the daughter (which is why I bought the book in the first place), and more on the transformation of the parents from secular Jews to Orthodox Jews.

Another problem for me was that some of the ideas of Orthodox Jews, and especially Ba'alei Teshuvah (those who "repent" and become religious), quite frankly offend me. I cannot recall any specific examples now, but I know that I was bothered in several places. One other thing that bothered me was the fact that the girl's parents did not seem to try hard enough to honor and help her connect with her Chinese roots.

That being said...

It was so nice, so nice, SO nice to read something by a fervent, passionate Jew. Interfaith dialogue is great and I love it, but there is nothing like "meeting" passionate members of one's own faith. I really needed that.

Throughout the book, I found many inspirational quotes. I will provide some of them below.

"Every mitzvah we perform takes place only because we are first granted a gift by Hashem."

"While the ability to speak properly and render admirably written characters is the sign of a cultured Chinese, the ability to use language to extol God's virtues and acknowledge our indebtedness to Him is one of the signs of a good Jew."

"I eventually realized that although there was a final destination in the form of a conclusion and in some cases a point of law or halachah, what mattered more was the journey itself and not the destination....The jewels were meant to be gathered along the way."

"The moment they were touched by a spark of Torah, they literally burst into flame."

"Secular studies were a window into heaven and an entranceway to Torah."

"Now, ensconced in this quiet capsule of time, I understood what our Sages intended when they taught: 'Wealthy is he who is happy with his lot.'"

So:

Overall?

I find the book to be a nice, wholesome story that would be encouraging to Jews attempting to grow in their faith and religious practice. Although I wish that it had focused more on the adoption process, I realize that that was not the point of the story. As a non-Orthodox Jew myself, I was somewhat uncomfortable with some of the attitudes and events in the story, but that is my problem.

Would I read the book again? Yes, probably, although not for a while. It is, after all, a good Jewish story.