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Books > Health, Home & Family > Family & health > Family & other relationships > Adoption & tracing birth parents
From the 1940s through the 1960s, young pregnant women entered the
front door of a clinic in a small North Georgia town. Sometimes
their babies exited out the back, sold to northern couples who were
desperate to hold a newborn in their arms. But these weren't
adoptions--they were transactions. And one unethical doctor was
exploiting other people's tragedies. Jane Blasio was one of those
babies. At six, she learned she was adopted. At fourteen, she first
saw her birth certificate, which led her to begin piecing together
details of her past. Jane undertook a decades-long personal
investigation to not only discover her own origins but identify and
reunite other victims of the Hicks Clinic human trafficking scheme.
Along the way she became an expert in illicit adoptions, serving as
an investigator and telling her story on every major news network.
Taken at Birth is the remarkable account of her tireless quest for
truth, justice, and resolution. Perfect for book clubs, as well as
those interested in inspirational stories of adoption, human
trafficking, and true crime.
A powerful blazingly honest memoir told with humor and panache
about a mother and son finding each other again after years of
estrangement. A coming-of-age story of outrageous excess, glamour,
entitlement and grand delusion, lived above the fray and over the
top. A gay man's journey through the joys and perils of his
generation, coming out in the early eighties in the shadow of a
terrifying of disease that would devastate so many, surviving
tremendous loss and culminating in his decision to adopt a child as
a single parent.
When Sergei, a psychotherapist who has been living in Paris for the
past decade, discovers that his mother is terminally ill, he
decides to leave his practice and his life to be by her side, in
the hope of healing the bitterness and discord before it is too
late. Alternating between a narrative of Dollsie's last months as
she battles cancer, interwoven with poignant and hilarious and at
times shocking scenes from their outlandishly privileged lives,
DAMAGE CONTROL is a story about exile and loss, searching and
escape. From the mountain villages of Gstaad, Switzerland, to New
York and Miami and Cuba, the narrator revisits the chateaux and
chalets of his childhood, exploring the emotional and geographical
landscapes of a mother and son whose lives are revealed to be
poignant parallels of each other. After avoiding his mother for a
lifetime, seeking shelter from her destructiveness and her drinking
and her rage, Sergei comes face-to-face with this narcissistic
woman confronting mortality for the first time, and through his own
experiences as an activist and a therapist and a man who has faced
his own mortality at young age, he helps her to come to terms with
all her guilt and regrets and fear of dying.
This memoir offers a fascinating and disturbing portrayal of a
glamorous woman whose life has been one of great elegance and
luxury, along with disillusionment, grandiosity, seduction and
self-destruction: her childhood in pre-Castro Cuba, a mythical
island paradise; her marriage at the age of eighteen to a dashing
young Swiss man and their subsequent exile; her frantic and
desperate resolve to create a mythical life of her own and pass on
the traditions of aristocracy to her children, all the while
leading a double life and suffering feelings of intense longing and
frustration and guilt which eventually cause her to destroy and
walk away from everything that she has been raised to want and
expect out of life.
DAMAGE CONTROL is ultimately a rendering of the cycle of life,
saying goodbye to a parent so you can say hello to a child, and
finding grace and redemption through a mother's love.
In 1965, Carol Schaefer was 19, a freshman in college and deeply in
love. She was also pregnant. When her boyfriend's family opposed
their marrying, her parents sequestered her in a Catholic home for
unwed mothers a state away, where she was isolated and where
secrecy prevailed. She had only to give up her baby for her sin to
be forgiven and then all would soon be forgotten she was told. The
child, in turn, would be placed with a "good" family, instead of
having his life ruined by the stigma of illegitimacy. Carol tried
to find the strength to oppose this dogma but her shame had become
too deep. "The first time I looked deep into my son's eyes, I felt
like a criminal. As I unwrapped his hospital blanket and took in
the heady fragrance of a newborn, I feared the nurses or the
sisters would come in and slap me for contaminating my own son."
Finding no way out, she signed the fateful papers leaving her son
in the hands of strangers, but with a vow to her baby she would
find him one day. For years, Carol struggled to forget and live the
"normal" life promised, not understanding the consequences of the
trauma she'd endured. On his eighteenth birthday, she set out to
find him, although the law denied access to records. Her search
became a spiritual quest to reclaim her own lost self, as she came
to understand the emotional and psychological wounds she and other
mothers like her had endured. Against all odds she succeeded in
finding him and discovered that in many ways they had never really
been apart. With her son's encouragement and his adoptive mother's
cooperation, she tells their story. REVIEWS: "Strength, sadness,
joy, and the power of undeniable love abound in this book." 500
Great Books by Women (A Penguin Books Reader's Guide, 1994) The
list of authors goes back to the 11th century. Nominated "One of
the best books of 1991." American Library Association. ..". flows
as forcefully as the finest fiction. ... This 'ten-hankie-read'
never descends into sentimentality but simply reveals the
unvarnished truths of the human heart." Wilson Library Bulletin
"This wrenching account, covering a range of adoption issues, is a
moving testament to the bonding power of motherhood." Publishers
Weekly "An astonishing revelation of the emotions that come into
play throughout the adoptive process - a must read for all
concerned." Kirkus Reviews Literary Guild Alternate Selection.
"Inspiring ... a heart tugger." Patricia Holt, San Francisco
Chronicle "A chronicle of a time with the starkest of emotions
revealed ... Readers quickly understand the trauma that lingers on
deep in the hearts of birthmothers every day of their lives."
Elliot Bay Booknotes "It should be a must read for anyone who
considers adoption the 'easy' answer to an unwanted pregnancy." The
Philadelphia Inquirer "As she experiences pain and love, you're on
that roller coaster with her, as if the life she lived was yours."
St. Petersburg Times "Poignant and powerful, The Other Mother
shatters the myth that unwed mothers, unprepared for the sacrifice
they make, go on to lead normal and untouched lives." Booklist "Any
woman who has gone through any part of her experience, or has been
close to somebody who has, will attest to the story's
authenticity." The Washington Post "I recommend it with all my
heart. Its courage, integrity and love make it a treasure. ... not
only for adoptive families and birth families, it is for everyone
who longs to know how deep the levels are that connect us, and how
precious." Gary Zukav, The Seat of the Soul ..". addresses
intimately the experience of a Birthmother as no other book has -
or probably ever will. Expertly written." Jone Carlson, Editor
People Searching News "Courageous, moving and heartening." Betty
Jean Lifton, Journey of the Adopted Self "A wonderful book. From my
professional perspective the book is right on target." Reubon
Pannor, coauthor, The Adoption Triangle
Prior to World War II, international adoption was virtually
unknown, but in the twenty-first century, it has become a common
practice, touching almost every American. How did the adoption of
foreign children by U.S. families become an essential part of
American culture in such a short period of time? Rachel Rains
Winslow investigates this question, following the trail from Europe
to South Korea and then to Vietnam. Drawing on a wide range of
political and cultural sources, The Best Possible Immigrants shows
how a combination of domestic trends, foreign policies, and
international instabilities created an environment in which
adoption flourished. Winslow contends that international adoption
succeeded as a long-term solution to child welfare not because it
was in the interest of one group but because it was in the interest
of many. Focusing on the three decades after World War II, she
argues that the system came about through the work of governments,
social welfare professionals, volunteers, national and local media,
adoptive parents, and prospective adoptive parents. In her
chronicle, Winslow not only reveals the diversity of interests at
play but also shows the underlying character of the U.S. social
welfare state and international humanitarianism. In so doing, she
sheds light on the shifting ideologies of family in the postwar
era, underscoring the important cultural work at the center of
policy efforts and state projects. The Best Possible Immigrants is
a fascinating story about the role private citizens and
organizations played in adoption history as well as their impact on
state-formation, lawmaking, and U.S. foreign policy.
"Impossible to put down, makes you laugh and cry, Sophie's story is
inspirational. It gives us so much hope and encouragement. I don't
think we would be where we are on our own journey without her
advice." OLLIE LOCKE "A read so twisty your heart pounds as you
turn the pages." THE SUNDAY TIMES Brave, funny and honest,
columnist Sophie Beresiner takes us on her complex journey to
parenthood and shows us that there's more than one way to become a
mother. Sophie's journey to motherhood began aged 30 with a cancer
diagnosis that stole her fertility. Today, Sophie is older, wiser
(and agonisingly excellent at hindsight), and somewhat battered.
Through interminable cycles of hope and failure, her infertility
story spanned three countries, five surrogates and a debt she'd
rather not dwell on. Part memoir, part manifesto, The Mother
Project is the epic story of Sophie's quest for happiness.
Exploring the complexities, expectations and injustices faced by
millions of women across the world, it is a book that is both
personal and universal.
After her adoptive mother's death, Lori Jakiela, at the age of
forty, begins to seek the identity of her birth parents. In the
midst of this loss, Jakiela also finds herself with a need to
uncover her family's medical history to gather answers for her
daughter's newly revealed medical ailments. This memoir brings
together these parallel searches while chronicling
intergenerational questions of family. Through her work, Jakiela
examines both the lives we are born with and the lives we create
for ourselves. Desires for emotional resolution comingle with
concerns of medical inheritance and loss in this honest, humorous,
and heartbreaking memoir.
Numerous reasons cause adopted teenagers to reconnect with their
birth family via Facebook, creating new challenges for adoption
today and tomorrow. Incorporating theory, practice, anecdotes,
metaphors, diagrams, models and case studies, this accessible book,
written by an experienced adopter, clearly explains these complex
issues. It maps connections between trauma, child development,
grief, adolescence, contact, truth telling and parenting styles;
offering fresh perspectives and strategies for parents and
professionals.
Many adopted or foster children have complex, troubling, often
painful pasts. This book provides parents and professionals with
sound advice on how to communicate effectively about difficult and
sensitive topics, providing concrete strategies for helping adopted
and foster children make sense of the past so they can enjoy a
healthy, well-adjusted future. Approximately one of every four
adopted children will have adjustment challenges related to their
separation from the birth family, earlier trauma, attachment
difficulties, and/or issues stemming from the adoption process.
Common complicating issues of adopted children are feelings of
rejection, abandonment, or confusion about their origins. While
many foster and adoptive parents and even many professionals are
reluctant to communicate openly about birth histories, silence only
adds to the child's confusion and pain. This revised and
significantly expanded edition of the award-winning Telling the
Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child equips parents with the
knowledge and tools they need to communicate with their adopted or
foster child about their past. Revisions include coverage of
significant new research and information regarding the importance
of understanding the child's trauma history to his or her
well-being and successful adjustment in his foster or adoptive
family. The authors answer such questions as: How do I share
difficult information about my child's adoption in a sensitive
manner? When is the right time to tell my child the whole truth?
How do I obtain more information on my child's history? Detailed
descriptions of actual cases help the parent or caregiver find ways
to discover the truth (particularly in closed and international
adoption cases), organize the information, and explain the details
of the past gently to a toddler, child, or young adult who may find
it frightening or confusing. Presents age-appropriate, specific
guidelines that make an intimidating and potentially uncomfortable
task straightforward, organized, and manageable Serves to remove
the fear of how to make sense of the past for foster and adopted
children of all ages, allowing parents, teachers, counselors, and
other caregivers to have open, honest, and beneficial dialogues
with children and teens with tough pasts Explains how children's
development is impacted by separation from their birth families and
identifies the issues generated by the trauma occurring before,
during, and after the separation Reveals powerful insights gained
from the story of one of the first African American children to be
adopted in the United States by a white family-an individual who is
now middle-aged
The story every mother in America needs to read. As featured on NPR
and the TODAY Show. All moms have to deal with choosing baby names,
potty training, finding your village, and answering your kid's
tough questions, but if you are raising a Black child, you have to
deal with a lot more than that. Especially if you're a single Black
mom... and adopting. Nefertiti Austin shares her story of starting
a family through adoption as a single Black woman. In this
unflinching account of her parenting journey, Nefertiti examines
the history of adoption in the African American community, faces
off against stereotypes of single Black moms, and confronts the
reality of what it looks like to raise children of color and answer
their questions about racism in modern-day America. Honest,
vulnerable, and uplifting, Motherhood So White is a fantastic book
for mothers who have read White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo,
Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, Why Are All The Black
Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum, or
other books about racism and want to see how these social issues
play out in a very personal way for a single mom and her Black son.
This great book club read explores social and cultural bias, gives
a new perspective on a familiar experience, and sparks meaningful
conversations about what it looks like for Black families in white
America today.
This is the go-to guide for practitioners, parents and carers who
want to expand their understanding and skills for therapeutic
parenting - a deeply nurturing parenting style particularly
effective for children who have experienced trauma or adversity. It
provides an easy to understand explanation of the latest theory and
research in trauma and neuroscience, and explains how these relate
to everyday parenting strategies. It provides clarity on complex
areas, such as early developmental trauma in children, and insights
into key challenges, including managing transitions, sibling
relationships, challenging behaviour, the teenage years, and how to
find time and space for self-care. With experience, professional
expertise, and text features to aid learning throughout, this book
is the one-stop shop for everyone wanting to truly understand every
aspect of therapeutic parenting and trauma.
Each adoption is a unique event for the people who are personally
involved, or for those who feel connected to the parents-to-be. The
adoption period takes you to a new world and can wear you down
emotionally if you are not prepared for what can be expected. It is
not the regular pregnancy with which some people like to compare
it. It is a pregnancy between cold bureaucracy on one side and the
daily feelings of vulnerable tenderness on the other. Many books
have been written about the ins and outs of pregnancies but there
was never a book to prepare oneself for that very special time we
call adoption. Geeri Bakker takes you there with her positive
attitude and her sense of humor. She takes you along the
unpredictable, uncomfortable and sometimes seemingly endless path
that is the adoption procedure. THE ADOPTION HANDBOOK teaches
adoptive parents-to-be how to face stress in its many appearances
during the sometimes dark and winding road that leads to their
adoptive child. To illustrate the book, Geeri Bakker shares her own
story of the procedures that she and her husband endured when
adopting their two children. It is not the (Dutch) procedure that
makes this story so touching and at times breathtaking. It is the
way that stress burrows into hearts that desperately wish to adopt
a child; something that anyone going through an adoption procedure
will recognize. THE ADOPTION HANDBOOK helps adoptive parents
acknowledge their feelings of stress during their long-term
'pregnancy' and deal with them: facing the main goal, and feeling
energetically able, both physically and mentally, to 'conceive'
their child when the time is right. It is only normal that pregnant
couples gather information to prepare themselves. So now it is time
that adoptive parents prepare themselves, as well. For the
well-being of this special child, given to you to have, hold, love,
cherish, and to let it grow and grow up in your family.
Twelve year old Danielle has been excluded from a special school and her former foster family can no longer cope. She arrives as an emergency placement at the home of foster carer Angela, who soon suspects that there is more to the young girl's disruptive behaviour than meets the eye. Can Angela's specialist training unlock the horrors of Danielle's past and help her start a brave new life?
The Girl With Two Lives is the fourth book from well loved foster carer and Sunday Times bestselling author Angela Hart. Another true story from the experienced and bestselling foster carer – sharing the tale of one of the many children she has fostered over the years. A story of the difference that quiet care, a watchful eye and sympathetic ear can make to those children whose upbringing has been less fortunate than others.
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