Venture deep into the heart-warming--and heart-wrenching--world of international adoption as John Simmons’ poignant memoir chronicles his family’s personal quest to rescue five children from an impoverished rural Russian orphanage. To Sing Frogs recounts the Simmons family’s journey to discover the true meaning of family, while nurturing Sarah, adopted at age five, through the inner turmoil of survivor’s guilt, having left so many of her closest friends behind at the orphanage.
In his uplifting, yet brutally honest tale, this practical husband and father reveals a deeply moving perspective on the disturbing conditions at the orphanage, his angst over wanting to do more for the children left behind and the awe-inspiring, unshakeable faith and dedication of his wife, Amy. Meanwhile, Sarah’s journey of assimilation to life in America offers readers a unique perspective on the everyday experiences many take for granted, capped off by an unexpected reunion with two best friends from the orphanage she thought she would never see again.
To Sing Frogs offers an intimate glimpse at the transformation within a father’s heart as Simmons struggles to reconcile his practical science and engineering background, where all things are explainable and quantifiable, against the realization that, in matters of the heart, some things simply can’t be explained.
An adoption advocate and Papa to nine children three biological and six adopted John M. Simmons chronicles his family s journey of love, laughter and discovery of what it means to be a family through international adoption. His award-winning novel The Marvelous Journey Home and his memoir, To Sing Frogs, detail the Simmons family s quest to adopt six children rescued from an impoverished rural Russian orphanage and raise them in a serene mountain valley near Park City, Utah.
Through his first-hand account and insight into the challenges and life-affirming rewards of international adoption, Simmons hopes to inspire others to open their hearts and their homes to children around the world in need of a family.
The Marvelous Journey Home earned Book of the Month status from Audio Book News Service and BookReview.com and made the Top Ten Reads Lists for MyShelf.com. The novel earned Best of State for fiction in the Utah Best of State Awards for 2008.
In addition to juggling the demands of multi-cultural fatherhood, Simmons serves as President and CEO of White Knight Fluid Handling, Inc., a pump manufacturer serving the semiconductor, solar and LED industries. Co-inventor of fourteen U.S. patents, Simmons has received several manufacturing industry awards, including the international DuPont Plunkett award, given bi-annually for the best new Teflon-based product designs.
Simmons appears frequently as an adoption advocate and to share his experience with international adoption in television, radio and newspaper interviews. He makes regular book club appearances, and is a frequent guest speaker for various civic and other groups to increase awareness about international adoption. Simmons lives with his wife, Amy, and their children in Kamas, Utah.
My Take on the Book
I have known others who have gone through the process of international adoptions with mixed results. This book is a testament to the passion and unstoppable determination of one father's plight to save five children from Russia. This was a powerful story that was brutally honest and it takes you through the whole experience. The author has held nothing back for better or worse and gives the reader an insight into international adoption as well as into his experience that will leave you emotionally drained in parts but also uplifted in others. The story was well written, and you will completely drawn in from beginning to end as you want to see what happens next with the saga that the author and his family were on! I highly encourage all families to read this!
On a side note, I was completely impressed to find out that the author was giving all proceeds from his book to benefit the Ele Lembra Foundation!
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