Daughters of the Bamboo GroveDaughters of the Bamboo Grove
What it's about
In 2000, a woman in rural China gave birth to twin girls, in violation of the one-child policy. One twin was taken by family-planning officials and adopted by an American family; the other stayed in China. Barbara Demick tells the story of the sisters, their search for each other, and the rise of international adoption.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. Demick, author of Nothing to Envy, is one of the finest chroniclers of East Asia.
You'll love it if you liked
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
Mao's Great Famine
The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksGood to know
It reads like a novel and is deeply moving.
By the numbers
- Readers68 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz72 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #144 of the 198 history books we rank
- #172 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #202 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1148 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Barbara Demick
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Quick answers
Is Daughters of the Bamboo Grove worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. It ranks #1,148 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Daughters of the Bamboo Grove about?
In 2000, a woman in rural China gave birth to twin girls, in violation of the one-child policy. One twin was taken by family-planning officials and adopted by an American family; the other stayed in China. Barbara Demick tells the story of the sisters, their search for each other, and the rise of international adoption.
How long does it take to read Daughters of the Bamboo Grove?
About 9 hours (353 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Daughters of the Bamboo Grove?
If you liked it, try Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick, Mao's Great Famine by Frank Dikötter or The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.