Somewhere Sisters: A Story of Adoption, Identity, and the Meaning of Family

"In 1998, identical twin sisters were born in Vietnam, only to be separated soon after. Isabella was adopted by a wealthy white American family, while Hà remained in Vietnam. As teenagers, they reunited. On the surface, this sounds like a fairy tale about long-lost family. But Somewhere Sisters is not a fairy tale – it’s the product of intensive reporting that distills the five years that journalist Erika Hayasaki spent with Isabella, Hà and their families, tracing how they came to live such divergent lives. Crucially, Hayasaki contextualizes their stories in the larger history of transracial and transnational adoption, as well as nature-nurture science, making for a nuanced portrait."