Review of Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops

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Elendu Ekechukwu
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Review of Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops

Post by Elendu Ekechukwu »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops" by Allison Hong Merrill.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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At times, life could throw a punch at you, waiting for how you'd respond. Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops by Allison Hong Merrill is a memoir with a romantic twist. It would make you appreciate growing up with the love of a father and the care of a mother. This is the type of book that would teach you how to respond to life when everything seems to be going bad.

Allison Hong Merrill is a Taiwanese girl who grew up never knowing what fatherly love or motherly care was all about. At a very young age, Allison started to look after herself and her young sister, Dee. Their mother would always blame them for the reason her marriage failed, and her Dad would always tell them how he hated daughters. Things got worse when her dad divorced her mom and got married to another woman who made life a living hell for Allison and her sisters. In search of peace, Allison joined the Church of the Latter-day Saints. The members of this church took her in and made her feel at home. She was later disowned by her dad for giving up their religion. She later met Cameron, a fellow missionary who she felt was brought by God to end her suffering. She got married to Cameron, who made life a living hell for her. However, she was surprised to come back to her apartment to find out that Cameron, who brought her to America and married her, had made away with everything she owned. How was she going to cope in America when she couldn't even communicate properly in English? What later became of her life in America?

The book kept me awake all night. I couldn't help but feel sad for the author while I read this book. I don't think she deserved what she got; she had a pure heart. Memoirs like this would make one appreciate having a good family while growing. Her Baba and her Mama have never appreciated her and her sisters for anything they did; instead, they would always complain and call them torn in their flesh. I had three favourite characters; Allison, Dee, and Uncle Liu. I love how Dee stood up for her sisters even when she wasn't the oldest of the sisters. I admired how Uncle Liu became the father that Allison and her sisters never had.

There was nothing to hate about this book. This is the memoir of a love-starved woman who against all odds came out strong. I learned a lot about the Taiwanese people and their culture. You can't read this book and still hate the Church of the Latter-day Saints. I love how they showed Allison the love she had never witnessed before. That is what being a Christian should be all about. When she found peace in the church, she was quick to introduce her friends who also found some peace. This is the whole point of being a Christian to help spread the love of Christ. The book was well-developed and detailed. This memoir will help you spiritually, emotionally and also motivate you.

I'm rating this book 4 out of 4 stars. There weren't any errors in this book. This shows that it was exceptionally well-edited. I would recommend this book to people who love reading memoirs and people who are going through tough times.

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Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops
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Post by Pr[] »

Oh no!seems Allison's life is full of bad luck I'd love to read more and know if things turned out well and if she found her light at the end of her dark tunnel(life)
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Post by degoodwriter »

People like Allison deserve all the love they can get
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Post by Judy46 »

Reading books like this one make me fear to love and also teaches me a lot about loving someone
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María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
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Post by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda »

I don't think we should make generalizations when so many variables are at play. The Church of Latter Day Saints, like pretty much every religion, has good and bad people in it. We are all just humans. I'm glad this helped the author, and you are right, it is what Christianity should be about. This seems like a heart-wrenching but inspiring memoir.
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Post by Ferdinand_Otieno »

This is an interesting romantic fiction story highlighting faith, following one own's path, love, betrayal, family, romance, and a heathy dose of suspense. The book is temporarily free on Amazon Kindle and has an inciteful OnlineBookClub review. Congrats on the BOTD selection.
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Post by Fajarr »

This cover reminds me of another book I just completed. Automatically makes me want to read this!
Congrats on BOTD!
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Post by Rodel Barnachea »

OMG wow, I feel so lucky that the book I just bought for free because the BOTD has won multiple awards and is in the process of being turned into a mini-series. In my country, there is a significantly visible community of Chinese people. I am familiar with some of their culture, so I look forward to finding similarities and discovering new stuff about the Chinese community through this story. Congratulations to the author for BOTD!
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Post by Margi zuu202 »

The book of the day BOTD is romantic Allison memoir she grew up so poor and destitute her husband abandoned her and then she weaves together her story her experience as a migrant was not a walk in the park ..
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Post by Brenda Creech »

WOW! Allison had a rough time growing up. I can't imagine the pain she and her sisters felt when their father told them he hated girls! I am glad she was able to get away from her parents although she went from one bad situation to another for a while. This sounds like a wonderful memoir! Thanks for the informative review!
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Post by natalieabigail »

This sounds like a heart-wrenching story of resilience and faith. Right up my alley. I'm not a particularly religious person, but I'm always in awe of the strength of the human spirit, and I'm a huge proponent of having faith in whatever source keeps you seeking and feeling meaningful connections with others in the world. I'm eager to start reading. Thanks for the review!
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Post by Comfort Ansah »

After reading this review, this is a book I would love to read. At times life throws everything negative at you. With no love from family and eventually falling in love with a man who leaves you, leaves little or no hope for anyone but thank God for love amongst brethren which reinstalls that hope and love. Very emotional I must say.
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Post by Tara D Morgan »

Wow, what an amazing review and a truly inspirational story. I have an Indian friend who had a very similar journey and can in a small way imagine the struggles Allison goes through. Despite her father not wanting daughters Allison would have a strong loyalty to her family and to be disowned would have been heartbreaking. Especially as her husband threw it all back in her face after such a short marriage! I will be adding this to my to-read pile :tiphat:
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Post by Nemanja Jankovic »

Allison Hong Merrill is incredibly honest in her memoir. The challenge and disappointment that the author faced after coming to America only made her stronger. I would say that the book actually speaks in favor of the importance of family.
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Post by Mahlatse Ledwaba »

Growing in an abusive home is hard but Allison triumphed the poverty and abuse
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