Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops: A Memoir by Allison Hong Merrill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


After hearing so many positive reviews of Allison Hong Merrill’s book, Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops, I knew I had to add it to my reading list and was intrigued from the moment I began reading. The author introduces the reader to her story with this perfect hook: “I discovered that I became a starter wife from a light switch.”
Allison skillfully recounts her history of a difficult upbringing in Taiwan, ignored and abused by her mother, father, and stepmother. The plot thickens as she is swept off her feet by an American missionary, then faces subsequent trials at the hands of her husband and his family. Allison’s portrayal of each subsequent challenge kept me turning pages. I loved her author’s voice, her perseverance, her self-reflection, and most of all, her refusal to give in to the perils she faced. By the end of the book, I was cheering for her. This book deserves the accolades it’s already received. I highly recommend it. Brava!



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