The Marvelous Journey Home

By John Simmons

I was a little hesitant to read this book. I am always a little nervous when I read something self-published. I need to fix that bad habit. There are a lot of good writers about there who self publish and I would say John Simmons is one of them. His novel THE MARVELOUS JOURNEY HOME was a touching read. I was invested in the characters and enthralled by the culture. I know a little about Russia from my older brother, but this story delves into a known situation, adoption, and sheds more light on all the aspects. I never thought adoption was easy but the experiences related by the author are beyond what I imagined.

THE MARVELOUS JOURNEY HOME is a non-fiction story about the Knight family trying to adopt from Russia. They already have two boys and want a daughter. After the first potential falls through, Mike and Laura are swept up in the process. As part of the adoption they must travel to Russia twice and both times involve their own set of joys and heartaches. Not only do we have the story from the fancy Americans, but it also gives part of it from the humble Russians' perspectives. It is a heartwarming story about being a family and all that comes with it.

I love the smattering of Russian throughout the novel. I really enjoyed learning about the culture and people. The story is true but at the same time parts needed to be condensed for it to work in novel format. John Simmons explains this at the end. I am glad I read this book. Not only because it is witty and charming but because it broadened my horizons on what I've known about but didn't really understand.