I Wish for You a Beautiful Life: Letters from the Korean Birth Mothers of AE Ran Won to Their Children Book

Like all of us, birth mothers have stories to tell. Unfortunately, the stories of birth mothers in non-Western societies are sometimes inaccessible, ignored, or misunderstood. The unusual collection of letters in I Wish for You a Beautiful Life helps to bring their experiences closer to home. Written by Korean birth mothers to children for whom they have recently made an adoption plan, these letters allow us to hear a diversity of voices. Often emotionally complex, they are intended for mature readers and for parents or other adults to thoughtfully share with children.

The letters were written by women temporarily residing at Ae Ran Won, a home for unwed mothers in Seoul, Korea. Mrs. Han Sang-soon, Director of Ae Ran Won, made these letters available for publication so that people outside of Korea might better understand the difficult situations of birth mothers. Her introduction, a social workers' Foreword for adoptive families, and the editor's notes all help to provide cultural and historical context for the letters.

While quite personal, the letters in this book speak to a host of shared experiences and emotions. They portray sadness and loss, but also hope and joy. They are an important gift.

Ae Ran Won is a home for unwed mothers in Seoul, Korea, with the mission of meeting the physical, emotional, financial and spiritual needs of the young women who live there. Most of the birth mothers of Ae Ran Won choose adoption for their babies, and each is asked to write a letter to her child. I Wish for You a Beautiful Life offers a glimpse at some of these letters, and is an invaluable gift from the birth mothers of Ae Ran Won to Korean adoptive families everywhere. These are voices not often heard, sometimes thick with guilt and loss, but ultimately filled with a powerful message of hope and love. Ae Ran Won is a non-profit organization depending on private donations for much of its support. All proceeds from this book will go to Ae Ran Won.

About the Author:

Sara Dorow lived all of her childhood in South Korea and later worked for several years as an administrator of Chinese and Korean adoption programs. She is also the author of When You Were Born in China. Ms. Dorow holds an M.A. in East Asian Studies and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Sociology.

Adopted Child Newsletter - Lois Melina

I Wish for You a Beautiful Life is the first opportunity many of us have had to know what Korean birth mothers have felt at the time of relinquishment. Many of these letters are too intense for children. However, they are important for parents to read; their attitudes towards their children's birth parents will never be the same after they read these letters. Parents can find parts of the letters to share with their children as they grow up, and mature teen-agers may find that the complete letters fill in important pieces in their emotional and cultural portraits of their birth parents.