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Carried In Our Hearts: The Gift Of Adoption: Inspiring Stories Of Families Created Across Continents (2013)

by Jane Aronson(Favorite Author)

3.56 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0399161058 (ISBN13: 9780399161056)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Tarcher

review 1: My oldest daughter was thrilled to have a short essay included in this book. It's a piece she wrote when she was in 6th grade, describing her memories about going to China to adopt her sister, a trip she took when she was five years old. In her essay you can see how some of the things that were going on during that trip seemed scary, boring, or confusing to her, but you also see how she cut through all that to the heart of the matter--"meeting" her sister, feeling her way to understanding this new person, slowly and gently. The whole book is like a set of snapshots in time--one person may have written a recollection of the day they met their child for the first time, another person discusses an early challenge they faced as an adoptive family, and so on...the book takes yo... moreu down the road to parenting an adopted child from a hundred different angles. You don't spend a lot of time with any one single writer, but instead see a broad range of attitudes and situations. The book focuses on the positives of adoption, and some of the stories are indeed inspiring. But adoption is always the result of pain and loss, and it is not always the best or only path for an orphaned child. I hope anyone who is interested in that statement investigates the incredible work being done by Dr. Aronson's foundation, Worldwide Orphans.
review 2: I was rather impressed with this book that once I completed it, I mailed the book to a friend who is seriously pursuing adoption in Ethiopia. Along her journey of adopting two boys from Ethiopia, she ran into quite a dead end as only one child in the last 5 months has been adopted from that country. It has been put at almost a standstill since October (which is when I mailed the book to her). Her adoption process has taken off in a completely different direction and different country, and she has been given a renewed vision of hope - and I'd like to think that I helped in that process somehow. Regardless, I liked this book because I don't think that we truly understand the depth, emotions, and trials that go into adoption. It can be a lengthier, more costly, more emotional process than pregnancy. And while each family has their own reasons for choosing to adopt - this book really helped me to become more open-minded about those families who chose to adopt in different countries than the United States. It didn't necessarily give me the burning desire to apply and expand our family to include another baby/toddler from abroad (I believe that it's all about timing - right place, right time - and when you are meant to adopt, you will just "know"). But it did give me an added respect for those who chose this path and give children a rich opportunity to grow up with means that they never would have experienced in their homelands.(Side note: If you want to hear an absolutely amazing story about adoption look up Jessica Long - the Paralympics Swimmer who was adopted from Russia. During the 2014 Sochi Olympics they did a special on her story that just brought tears to my eyes, and this story seriously almost convinced me to go to Russia and adopt a baby of my own from there). less

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