An Adams Media author.
"A neurotic American father of three relocates his family to Hong
Kong for one year.
"Hanstedt (General Education Essentials: A Guide for College
Faculty, 2012), an English professor and editor of the Roanoke
Review, is no stranger to international travel, having visited 30
countries on four continents. But living in Asia on a Fulbright
exchange program for 12 months became a challenge of epic
proportions for him, his wife, Ellen, and their three kids,
9-year-old Will, 6-year-old Lucy and 3-year-old Jamie, whose
bright, distinctive personalities are on full display. Though their
first few days abroad were marred with the death of Ellen's father,
the family trudged on with wide-eyed excitement at the
cross-cultural opportunity unfolding before them. From navigating
the subway system to procuring palatable food for picky kids in
Kowloon restaurants, the culture clash began immediately. The
author excitedly dictates stories of rocky junk rides, pedestrian
dangers and space issues inside their temporary home, situated 20
minutes from China's border, and he balances the inconveniences
with pages of familial history and beautifully described scenery.
When Will got bullied, Hanstedt drew on his own painful moments of
tortured life at school; in the final pages, he tenderly reflects
on Jamie's incremental growth while in China from a baby to a
vibrant toddler.
"Through text that reads like dynamic blog material and flows with
the hyperactive flare of an anxious father of three, the narrative
moves along seamlessly with enthusiasm, parental trepidation and a
healthy dose of sardonic humor."
Kirkus Reviews, June 15 2012
"We know plenty of fellow parents who daydream about living abroad
with their young kids for a year, and more than a few who have done
it, but we've never been so entertained by the stories of culture
clash, unexpected pleasures, and coping with homesickness as we are
by Paul's memoir. His eye for the telling detail of living in
strange surroundings (daughter Lucy reveling in a bowl of chicken
heads) combined with his heart-on-his-sleeve rendering of his kids'
experiences gives us a book that is heartfelt, funny, and
fast-paced."
Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers
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