Made in China

Made in China by Simon Gjeroe. I enjoyed this book very much. I do not have an Asian wife but have lived in Taiwan and worked for Asia companies for well over 30 years. Also, when living in the US some of my co-workers are married to Asian women with children. Unlike my friends, Mr. Gjeroe lived in Beijing fell in love with Feng Du, married and had two boys born in China. Perhaps a bit unique both Simon and Du were in their mid 30’s when they married. Simon is Danish and Du had lived in Germany for five years. This is not a story of fat old while guy marrying a rich young Asian woman. Instead, it is the story of trying to cope with the bureaucracy of establishing a life in China for a mixed family. But it is also much more. I find amusing the stories of who strangers in China will pick up their baby, poke it and look at it as some odd creature. No harm but just as people in China will tell you when you return from holiday and are now fat which they give as a compliment, life in a Chinese community in jarring for a Westerner. I lived in Taiwan and experienced this myself. Although Mr. Gjeroe offers no explanation my opinion is that even in a large Chinese city everyone is from a small remote village themselves or a generation or two before. They still carry with them that it takes a village to survive and thus are willing to place themselves if even for a moment as an auntie or uncle to everyone.
There are many suggestions from family and friends about what to do and not do while pregnant including: cut their hair short, no tubs or even brush your teeth, no bicycling or swimming and of course no sex.
There is a chapter on Tiger Mom’s but now placed in China where it seems even worse than in the West which is not surprising but will I believe will fall apart when young Chinese question “was this all worth it?”
Finally, as I know of others who did the same, they move to Denmark for the health of their children. The air in China is so bad that it can be life threatening. I heartly recommend this book not just for men and women from the West and East falling in love but for all looking to see how a man and woman in love overcome obstacles and walls placed before them.

I really liked this book! It gave a great sense of what it is like to raise a child in China, from the one child policy, to family and community members telling you what to do at every stage to funny anecdotes and historical facts, there was lots to learn and enjoy! It was light hearted and a relaxing read, but I still felt like I gained a lot from reading it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, earnshaw books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this awesome book!

I enjoyed this memoir from beginning to end. In fact, it's one of the few books that I read to the very end. Written by a Danish man who went to university in China, married a Chinese woman, and had two children with her. He describes some of China's history and the customs and traditions of the Chinese people, but what I found most interesting was how the Chinese bring up their children.

Sometimes in graphic detail with added humor, Gjeroe goes on to describe everything from how children are educated to their potty training. He also goes on to describe the innumerable superstitions that grandparents bestow upon the parents for healthy grandchildren. And it all begins from the moment the parents find out they are expecting.

I highly recommend this book as an honest and intriguing read about living in China and learning its culture.

Personal and intimate experience of a foreigner in the Middle Kingdom on topics generally considered taboo for discussing in public - Public perception and behaviour towards foreigner, opinions formed by 5,000 years’ history, marriage, acceptance in the society and navigating through bureaucracy, social and cultural views on intimacy of a couple, pregnancy and raising a child.

The book is a guide for all the mixed race couples planning family and future in China. Although some of the experiences are dated, they still offer words of wisdom. The author has tried to relate old experiences with recent political, social and cultural paradigms.

What a fascinating read! It gave an interesting insights into a culture and a country I don't know a lot about, but am intrigued with. What I found so interesting was how pregnant women are treated and what they are allowed to do and not do. The choosing of a name ritual was mind-blowing. I really learnt a lot of interesting facts from this book.
Thank to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book.

This is a beautiul memoir in which Simon takes us through his life in China and parenthood. It is really interesting to see how an interracial marriage works, specially in a traditional society like the one in China.

It is a fun book to read. But the style was strange. I don't know exactly how to describe it but the first chapters I felt like reading a book in drafts that lacked edition

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fascinating book.

We follow Gjeroe as he navigates parenthood in China as a foreigner. He highlights what life was like for him and his wife in Beijing and the contrasts with parenthood and expectations in Denmark.

Gjeroe's humor in sharing his experiences with his wife's pregnancies, the bureaucracy of living in China, and everything that comes along with it is a fun and interesting read. I appreciate being able to peak behind the curtain and see how different but similar our experiences are.

Overall a fun read.

As soon as I saw this I had to pick it up. I lived in China for almost 7 years and I was really interested in the author's perspective of living there.

The book is witty and at times, laugh out loud funny. I've experienced a lot of the cultural differences talked about in the book. Some parts might not make sense for people who haven't experienced China in all its glory, but its still worth a read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Made in China is a fascinating memoir style read about the author's married life in China,

Simon Gjeroe is a caucasian man who met, fell in love with and married a Chinese woman. In Chinese culture a marriage between Chinese and non-Chinese can be considered a blessing to some, but to the government and family members who may not approve it can be fraught with problems.

Delve into life with Simon and his wife from when they met to their marriage, home life, arrival of their sons and all of the situations that come along with them. At times humorous, sometimes perplexing and other times downright confusing, the Gjeroes come through it all with a positive outlook and a gratified smile.

For lovers of foreign culture, Chinese life or intriguing biographic tales Mad in China is a fantastic read!

Absolutely fascinating. This book shows the reader the heart of the culture of parenthood in China as well as exploring marriage and the complexities of cross-cultural marriage.

This was a fascinating eye opening look at a cross cultural marriage in China.The cultural differences from pregnancy the birth and traditions that are followed right after the baby is born & on to raising their children .Gjeroe has a wonderful style of writing that shares his marriage his and his families daily life.There are moments that had me laughing out loud moments that surprised me and I was interested from first to last page.Thanks @netgalley @madeinchina