Kirjahaku

"An eye-opening account of life in China's orphanages. Kay Bratt vividly details the conditions and realities faced by Chinese orphans in an easy-to-read manner that draws the reader in to the heart-wrenching moments she has experienced in her work to bring hope to these children."--Dan Cruver, cofounder and director of Together for Adoption When her family relocated to rural China in 2003, Kay Bratt was thrust into a new world, one where boys were considered more valuable than girls and poverty and the one-child policy had created an epidemic of abandoned infants. As a volunteer at a local orphanage, Bratt witnessed conditions that were unfathomable to a middle-class mother of two from South Carolina. Based on Bratt's diary of her four years working at the orphanage, Silent Tears offers a searing account of young lives rendered disposable. In the face of an implacable system, Bratt found ways to work within (and around) the rules to make a better future for the children, whom she came to love. Her story balances the sadness and struggles of life in the orphanage with moments of joy, optimism, faith, and victory. It is the story of hundreds of children--and one woman who never planned on becoming a hero but became one anyway.

Having survived torture and imprisonment during China’s Cultural Revolution, Benfu escaped to find love with his compassionate and beautiful Calla Lily. Together they build a fulfilling life around the most menial of jobs—Benfu’s work collecting trash. As he sorts through the discards of others, he regularly discovers abandoned children. With unwavering determination, he and Calli spend decades creating a family of hand-picked daughters that help heal the sorrow and brighten their modest home. But all is not perfect and when crisis threatens to separate their family, Benfu—or possibly his band of headstrong daughters—must find a way to overcome the biggest hardship yet. Inspired by a true story, and set against the backdrop of a country in transition, The Scavenger’s Daughters is a sweeping present-day saga of triumph in the face of hardship, and the unbreakable bonds of family against all odds.

In her first work of contemporary women’s fiction, bestselling author Kay Bratt draws on her own life experiences to create a raw, yet inescapably warm, novel about friendship and a wary heart’s unexpected capacity to love.A hungry, stray dog is the last thing Cara Butter needs. Stranded in Georgia with only her backpack and a few dwindling dollars, she already has too much baggage. Like her twin sister, Hana, who has broken Cara’s heart one too many times. After a lifetime of family troubles, and bouncing from one foster home to another, Cara decides to leave it all behind and strike out alone—on foot.Cara sets off to Florida to see the home of her literary hero, Ernest Hemingway, accompanied only by Hemi, the stray dog who proves to be the perfect travel companion. But the harrowing trip takes unexpected turns as strangers become friends who make her question everything, and Cara finds that as the journey unfolds, so does her life—in ways she could never imagine.

The third audiobook of the Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters series, Bitter Winds follows the saga of Chinese couple Benfu and Calli, and the abandoned young women in their care.Even after a decade of pain, Ivy remains closely tethered to Lily—her blind twin sister—and haunted by her mother’s admission the night their home burned, almost taking Lily’s life: “I’m sorry. Take care of your sister.” Years later, as Lily begins to navigate the world on her own, the police mistakenly toss the blind girl in a cell, and Ivy realizes she must find her twin at all costs…even if that means risking her own freedom.After Benfu and Calli’s long-lost daughter, Li Jin, finally reunited with her birth parents, she opened a shelter for unwanted children, turning her fortunes from destitution and abuse to family and fulfillment. But her friend Sami remains consumed by bitterness—and Li Jin soon realizes she needs to make a difficult choice between helping someone from the past or nurturing her own future.

“A page-turner that will pull on your heartstrings and affirm your faith in humanity.” —Karen McQuestion, bestselling author of Hello LoveFrom the bestselling author of Wish Me Home comes a heart-racing tale of resilience and hope.When Sadie Harlan visits her daughter, Lauren, at her summer internship in Yosemite National Park, it seems like the perfect way to forget about her empty nest and failing marriage back home. But when the two women get lost on what’s meant to be a short hike, they suddenly find themselves fighting for their lives.As they search for food, water, and civilization, they battle injury, exhaustion, and natural predators. Sadie, however, is assaulted by more than just the unforgiving elements. She lost her first child years earlier in a tragic accident, and in her sorrow, she’s pushed everyone away—including her husband. Now, Sadie must face her past through a journey of love, loss, and learning to forgive herself if she and Lauren are to stand a chance at getting out of Yosemite alive.Will a mother’s courage be enough to save them both?

“A deftly crafted and riveting read from beginning to end.” —Midwest Book Review When two lost souls find love, their devotion may be the ultimate sacrifice. During China’s most chaotic period in history, a revolution creates thousands of innocent victims. Fearful citizens turn against one another and anyone accused of disloyalty to Chairman Mao is at risk of being sentenced to death. When best friends Pony Boy and Benfu get caught in the chaos, they must make heart-wrenching decisions regarding family, friendship, and courage. The prequel to the beloved Tales of the Scavenger’s Daughters series, The Palest Ink depicts the trials of two young men—and the women they love—during the tumultuous years of the Cultural Revolution.

From the bestselling author of Wish Me Home comes a breathtaking novel about the secrets that families keep and one woman’s illuminating search for the truth.Quinn Maguire has a stable life, a fiancé and what she thinks is a clear vision for her future. All of that comes undone by her mother’s deathbed confession—the absentee father Quinn spent thirty years resenting is not her real father at all. With that one revealing whisper, Quinn embarks on a journey to Maui, her mother’s childhood home, a storied paradise that holds the truth about her mother’s past and all its secrets Quinn is determined to uncover.But settling on the island has its complications, and with the fiancé she left behind questioning every choice she makes, Quinn’s quest for her truth is even more difficult than she expected. As time passes and she digs deeper into her family history and her own identity, one thing becomes clear: Maui is as beautiful as she’d always imagined, and its magic is helping uncover the woman that Quinn was always meant to be.

Maggie Dalton was forced to uproot her entire life to protect herself and her son. Just when she thinks she’s outrun her past, she’ll have to face her fears in this emotional and suspenseful novel by the bestselling author of Wish Me Home.After a year on the move, single mom Maggie Dalton has found a safe haven with her son in Maui. It’s the perfect spot to settle down now that her relentless stalker is finally behind bars. Maggie finds a new job and a new life thanks to some help from her best friend, Quinn, who urged her to come start over in paradise. But when signals suggest her stalker is back, Maggie realizes Maui might not be the safe oasis she thought.Quinn knows all about facing the past. Tenuously reunited with her biological family after thirty years, she’s still coming to terms with her childhood—along with guilt, secrets, and mysteries yet to be resolved. And just as she’s starting to figure out where she fits in with her family, a name from the past threatens them all.With that fear comes a choice for both women: abandon the lives they’ve been building on Maui, or find the courage to finally stop running and fight for the happiness they deserve.

Inspired by real events, To Move the World weaves a story of family loyalty and love. A historical fiction piece set during a tumultuos time when Chinese Americans faced persecution. They had to overcome many obstacles to establish an identity in a new land, and claim their piece of the early American Dream. In the second book of the Sworn Sisters duology, it's ten years later and San Francisco's Chinatown is growing in leaps and bounds, much to the disappointment of the white citizens in its surrounding communities. Jingwei has found love and acceptance in her tiny family, and purpose in her efforts to help others. Sun Ling is relieved to be reunited with the father who loves her. Mature women now, both Jing Wei and Sun Ling have pledged themselves as rescuers to girls and women in distress. At night Sun Ling moves quietly, finding and releasing the oppressed from their captors to place them temporarily with Jingwei and set them on a better path. In the day, Sun Ling works beside John Lane, Esquire. With his help, she advocates for Chinese and Asian American's rights, translating and guiding individuals through the mire of legalities heaped upon them by white citizens hell bent on driving the Chinese out. Its treacherous work even under the best circumstances and one particular venture into Truckee County will prove to be more deadly than either Sun Ling or her proclaimed protector can predict. Meanwhile Jingwei's peace and happiness is put in jeopardy when Luli's gift as a soothsayer comes to light, then smallpox begins its rampage across the Chinese quarter. Soon, all that Jing Fei has worked to build will be threatened. On the other side of town, Sun Ling is focused on her work, never allowing herself to believe that she can find love. Will she be able to put aside her obsession of rescuing the downtrodden in order to forge her own path of happiness?

Do dogs go to heaven? Do dogs have souls? Both are common questions, especially among those who've lost furry family members and can't bear the thought of never seeing them again. Kay Bratt explores these ideas in All (my) Dogs Go to Heaven. Touching on relevant Biblical scriptures, she chronicles her tumultuous past- including a traveling childhood and a near decade of domestic abuse- revealing how her beloved pets helped her cope, and instilled hope for better days ahead. Interspersed within this memoir are short essays from real people who have experienced signs from their departed pets as proof that they are still around in spirit. Included in the back of the book is a Grief Guide to help get us through those first devastating days after our loss.Insightful and fascinating, Kay Bratt has ultimately given us a message of hope with All (my) Dogs Go to Heaven. -Judy Morgan, Founder of Yorkie Rescue of the Carolinas

Set sail to new adventures and escapes with eight best-selling authors in the exciting new Sail Away series After the death of her beloved James, one woman faces a future of feeling adrift and must find a reason to go on without the love of her life, from the bestselling author of Wish Me Home. When Caroline McClellan's beloved husband passes away, she doesn't know what to do with herself without him as her center and reason for being. Caroline's three adult daughters insist that she accompany them on the cruise that was supposed to mark her fiftieth wedding anniversary. Caroline is a reluctant participant and sure she will not find any joy in a voyage that was supposed to be a celebration but without her husband, feels like a chore. Betty Martelle is an interesting woman who takes life by the horns and makes it her goal to find purpose in every day that she is still allowed to breathe. Fate will bring a new friend into her life and give her an opportunity to find a way to break through a barrier of grief to share her gift of spontaneity and finding joy in the little things. Set on a cruise to the lush island of Maui, Caroline Adrift is an emotional friendship story of two women brought together by fate. One is adrift when it comes to finding meaning in life, and the other is determined to be a beacon of hope and teach her how to do it. Join Kay Bratt, International Bestselling author, as she brings the latest book in The Sail Away series to life, featuring a heart-warming story of love and loss, and the gift of friendship.★ Don't miss a Sail Away book ★Book 1: Welcome Aboard - prologue bookBook 2: The Sound of the Sea by Jessie NewtonBook 3: Uncharted Waters by Tammy L. GraceBook 4: A Not So Distant Shore by Ev BishopBook 5: Caroline, Adrift by Kay BrattBook 6: Moonlight On the Lido Deck by Violet HoweBook 7: The Winning Tickets by Judith KeimBook 8: Lost At Sea by Patricia SandsBook 9: The Last Port of Call by Elizabeth BromkeRead more from International Bestselling Author, Kay Bratt By The Sea trilogyTrue to MeNo Place too FarInto the Blue The Tales of the Scavenger's DaughtersThe Scavenger's DaughtersTangled VinesBitter WindsRed SkiesThe Palest Ink The Sworn Sister duologyA Welcome MisfortuneTo Move the World The Willow duologySomewhere BeautifulWhere I Belong And many standalone novels