This book is rather different from other entries on this site. It’s part autobiographical and part treatise on what it means to belong. Greg Cole’s TCK background of growing up in Indonesia informs his understanding of belonging, since he grew up in a highly mobile community and his third culture-ness makes him different from most “normal” monocultural people. Another large aspect of Cole’s identity that informs his treatise on belonging is his sexual orientation and religion. As a celibate gay Christian, Cole doesn’t fit into the typical stereotypes of the LGBT+or Christian communities. Where does he really belong if he can’t find people who look and think like him? He proposes that similarities are not what tie people to each other, but that we can belong to each other in deeper ways.
I’d recommend this book to MKs and other TCKs who are struggling to “fit in” and find belonging outside the TCK bubble. For those who aren’t Christians, some of the messages about homosexuality may be unwelcome but the main points of the book are not about sexuality or arguing for or against celibacy.
Ob in der Auslands-Niederlassung einer Firma, einer Missionsstation oder einer diplomatischen Vertretung – jährlich steigt die Zahl der Kinder, die in unterschiedlichen Kulturkreisen aufwachsen. Authentisch und sorgfältig recherchiert beschreibt dieses Buch, was das Leben dieser sogenannten ‘Third Culture Kids’ ausmacht, welchen besonderen Problemen sie begegnen und welche speziellen Chancen sich ihnen eröffnen. Denn unmittelbarer als ihre Altersgenossen lernen diese Kinder sowohl die Freuden des Entdeckens als auch die Erfahrungen schmerzhaften Verlustes kennen. Es gelten andere Gesetze für ihren Reifungsprozess, sie gehen andere Wege auf der Suche nach ihrer Identität und sie sind herausgefordert, jenseits aller Ortswechsel eine Heimat zu finden. In Interviews, Gedichten und Berichten lassen Pollock und Van Reken die TCKs zu Wort kommen. Aus ihren Zeugnissen arbeiten sie die charakterlichen und emotionalen Grundstrukturen heraus, die Kinder mit diesem Hintergrund in der Mehrzahl entwickeln.
This is the German edition of THIRD CULTURE KIDS by David Pollock & Ruth Van Reken
Jesse vindt het helemaal niet leuk om te verhuizen naar Boma, een dorpje in het binnenland van Papoea. Maar zijn vader gaat er werken, en dus moet hij wel mee. Gelukkig wordt hij goed opgevangen door Rafaël, die er al jaren woont, en die samen met zijn Papoeavrienden een jungleclub heeft opgericht. Jesse mag ook lid worden. Maar niet meteen, natuurlijk. Hij moet eerst een overleven-in-de-jungle cursus volgen. En allerlei moeilijke opdrachten uitvoeren om te bewijzen dat hij moed heeft …
De overleven-in-de-jungle cursus: een spannend, stoer en grappig boek, dat kinderen zelf laat beleven hoe het is om in het oerwoud van Papoea te wonen.
Benito is 5 years old and quite excited. He is going to Israel with mom, dad, and his two little siblings. And not just for vacation! They will be working in the Johanniter hospice in the old city of Jerusalem where, in years past, sick knights were cared for, and where you can still hear the clatter of rusty armor! They soon feel at home – in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the Jerusalem bazaar, between all the religions and cultures of the country that knows no peace. For four years he and his family enjoy the magic of Israel. Everything is exciting there – from the “grave kitchen” to the Turkish tower, from the Dead Sea on which you can sit, to the books you have to read backwards; from the many fun festivals that the Israelis celebrate to their delicious food.
THIS BOOK IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN GERMAN
Sasha woont in Jakarta en verveelt zich verschrikkelijk. Het is zomervakantie. Al haar vriendinnen zijn weg, en ze moet zich zien te vermaken met haar drielingbroers Sam en Nick. Dat valt niet mee. Haar vader bedenkt een plan. Ze kunnen met de hele familie de marathon gaan lopen. En daar kunnen ze dan ook samen voor oefenen. Vreselijk! Ze trainen in de dierentuin, de enige plek in Jakarta waar je kunt lopen en rennen zonder overreden te worden. Totdat de dierentuin sluit, omdat de vogelgriep is uitgebroken. En die is niet alleen gevaarlijk voor vogels…
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Sasha lives in Jakarta and is terribly bored. It’s summer vacation. All her friends are gone, and she only has with her triplets, Sam and Nick, for company. Her father comes up with an idea –the whole family can train together to run a marathon. How horrible! They train at the zoo, the only place in Jakarta where you can walk and run without getting run over…at least until the zoo closes because Bird Flu has broken out. And it is not only dangerous for birds …
THIS BOOK IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN DUTCH
The second book in the “Sasha” series. It is the only one of the four Sasha diaries that is not included in the Sasha Trilogy.
Misunderstood is a decent introductory book for those looking to better understand TCKs, written for TCKs themselves, parents, and those who care for TCKs (like counselors or those who work for the parents’ organizations). It goes into detail about the different types of TCKs (like military brats, missionary kids, etc.) and the pros and cons of different schooling options while outside your passport country.
The book is based on interviews that the author has conducted on a large sample of TCKs and included many quotes and stories to accompany each section. While this lends credibility to her book, it can also be misleading.
Being a TCK caregiver, I know many TCKs who would disagree with the generalizations that she makes. It seems she interviewed TCKs who identify strongly with their overseas experiences and have struggled in adapting to their passport cultures. She said every TCK she interviewed claimed reentry was “a particularly difficult experience” (pg. 211). I know several TCKs who would disagree and say the experience was not very difficult for them. Many TCKs adapt well to their passport culture and do not strongly identify with being a TCK, though these are probably the TCKs least likely to volunteer to be interviewed about TCK experiences.
So while the book as a whole is a good summary of TCK experiences in general, one has to keep in mind that her interview sample was likely skewed and many TCKs would say her generalizations about TCK beliefs and experiences do not fit them.
A memoir of a missionary kid processing her experience of growing up abroad, and especially of going to boarding school as a young child, “Letters Never Sent” takes the reader through a process of healing and seeking closeness with God. Written in the form of letters to her parents (the original title is more apt: “Letters I Never Wrote”), this is her story from early childhood through adulthood as the discovery that pain and purpose can co-exist begins to bring comfort & healing.
While unmasking some of the darker sides of missions and especially the family separations that often go along with it, Van Reken still honors the good in her experiences and how much she loves her and parents and loves God. She doesn’t look at her experiences in black and white but still gives helpful advice to those who are on a similar journey towards recovery and to parents of TCKs who don’t want to repeat her parents’ mistakes.
