Nicole Chung was born severely premature, placed for adoption by her Korean parents, and raised by a white family in a sheltered Oregon town. From childhood, she heard the story of her adoption as a comforting, prepackaged myth. She believed that her biological parents had made the ultimate sacrifice in the hope of giving her a better life, that forever feeling slightly out of place was her fate as a transracial adoptee. But as Nicole grew up—facing prejudice her adoptive family couldn't see, finding her identity as an Asian American and as a writer, becoming ever more curious about where she came from—she wondered if the story she'd been told was the whole truth.
With the same warmth, candor, and startling insight that has made her a beloved voice, Nicole Chung tells of her search for the people who gave her up, which coincided with the birth of her own child. All You Can Ever Know is a profound, moving chronicle of surprising connections and the repercussions of unearthing painful family secrets—vital reading for anyone who has ever struggled to figure out where they belong.
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“Narrator Janet Song explores the complex emotions of adopted children in this memoir about family…Song’s narration is sensitive as she delivers details of subtle discrimination…[and] Song’s tender voice draw listeners loser to Chung’s dilemmas. Her pace is consistently steady as the story moves between the present and past, creating a seamless listening experience…This contemporary exploration of identity will resonate with many listeners.”
— AudioFile
“Opening readers’ eyes to the complexities of cross-cultural adoption, Chung makes a resounding case for empathy.”
— Time“Chung’s search for her biological roots… has to be one of this year’s finest books, let alone memoirs…Chung has literary chops to spare and they’re on full display in descriptions of her need, pain and bravery.”
— Washington Post“Highly compelling for its depiction of a woman’s struggle to make peace with herself and her identity…A profound, searching memoir.”
— Kirkus ReviewsBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Nicole Chung has written for the New York Times, GQ, Longreads, BuzzFeed, Hazlitt, and Shondaland, among other publications. She is Catapult magazine’s editor in chief and the former managing editor of The Toast. All You Can Ever Know is her first book. Follow her on Twitter at @nicole_soojung.
Janet Song is the recipient of multiple Earphones Awards and was named one of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voices of 2008. Recent audiobooks include Euna Lee’s The World is Bigger Now and Lisa See’s Shanghai Girls. She lives and works in Southern California as an actor on stage and screen.