Bones That Float – Blog Book Tour

“Two lives twist and untwist with mine in this book, in the eddies that form along the barrier of cross-cultural communication. One of them escaped Cambodia and realized her dreams in America; the other didn’t.”

Bones That Float: A Story of Adopting Cambodia, by Kari Grady Grossman is a complex and compelling true story of three lives and the deep connection to Cambodia that they all share. It would be a mistake to lable this an “adoption story” and relegate it to the bookshelves of only those who have adopted from Cambodia. In truth there is much more here than one family’s adoption story. As in the autobiographical novels “First They Killed My Father” and “When Broken Glass Floats” Bones follows one family as they struggle to survive under the Khmer Rouge. Woven through that narrative, however, is the story of another Cambodian boy during that time, as well as Kari Grady Grossman’s firsthand experiences in present-day Cambodia. The stories intermix, one shedding light on another, peeling back the layers of Cambodia to a depth of understanding rarely achieved in a biographical novel. Nothing is simple in Cambodia. There are no easy answers to the problems that plague this beautiful and troubled country. But Kari Grady Grossman shows us that there is much to be gained in reaching out, in seeking to bring healing.

Bones That Float is not what I would call an “easy read.” There is much to absorb and process and at times the tangled webs of corruption can be hard to follow. Also, Kari’s views on spirituality and politics differ greatly from my own; at times her narratives on these topics were a distraction to me. That said, I would highly recommend this book – to everyone. And I will be saving my copy for my daughter to read, when she is older. “Bones That Float” will be able to explain Cambodia to her in a way that I never could; it may even bring her a sense of peace about her own adoption.

The Grossmans’ adoption journey also led them to sponsor a school in Cambodia, The Grady Grossman School. As Kari says in Bones,

“We didn’t create Grady or the circumstances that made him an orphan, but we hope one day he’ll be proud of the way his life began. His adoption changed the lives of hundreds of Cambodian children who attend our school, and of hundreds of Americans who donate to our school regularly, having learned Cambodia’s story. For us, the ties that bind are beyond blood.”

25% of the proceeds from Bones That Float benefit the Grady Grossman School. To learn more…

Watch this video:
Read Kari’s Blog
Check out the Bones That Float Website
Visit the Grady Grossman School website

You can also check out other stops on the Blog Book Tour
Exploring Adoption
Mommy Matters
International Adoption Blog
Andy’s Open Door

**(Editorial Note: I purchased Kari Grady Grossman’s, “Bones That Float” a few months ago and started reading it. When my friend stopped for a visit before returning to Cambodia, I gave her my copy. Then, a few days later, I received an invitation to partipate in this Blog Book Tour. The invitation included an offer for a free copy of the book, which I accepted. All that to say I’m reviewing a book that I received for free, but I did actually pay for it too. )