In Three Names of Me, Ada has three names: the name her American parents gave her; the name she had at the orphanage in China; and the name that her Chinese mother whispered to her when she was first born. But this last quiet name Ada can’t seem to remember.
St. Paul author Mary Cummings wrote Three Names of Me for her own adopted daughter, Ada, and for other children struggling with their identity.
"My husband and I have always had a love and admiration for China," says
Cummings. She says it was her high school teacher who introduced her to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Asian culture. With a master’s degree in Asian art history, and as an Asian tour guide, Cummings’ passion for China is overwhelming. So, when foreign adoption opened in China, adopting a Chinese baby was an easy decision.
As the real Ada grew, Cummings anticipated some of the struggles that her daughter might experience. "There are complexities about one’s identity if you are from another country and adopted," says Cummings. "I felt like if there was anything I could do to help connect the dots, I wanted to do it."
"There are a lot of adoption books out there for children," Cummings adds. "But when kids get older, they need something that is about identity."
Now, as 12-year-old Ada wanders through a bookstore, she smiles when she sees Three Names of Me sitting on the shelf. It acts as a small reminder that she is not alone in the search for discovering who she really is.
