Adoption Reviews

They Cage the Animals at Night

Published in Unknown Binding by Perfection Learning (1985-10)

Author: Jennings Michael Burch

List price: $14.65

New price: $8.79
Used price: $5.79

Average review score:

REQUIRED READING....YES!!!!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-26

At times it was very difficult to read this true story due to my tears and heart stopping feelings. I think that this book should be required reading for the young people of today to let them know how blessed they are to have what they have. I hope our system has changed enough so that the things this young boy, and the many others in the book faced are not present today. My heart is still hurting from this story but I am glad that I continued with the read and finished Mr. Burch's story. I am going to pass this book on to my grandaughters to read and hope they share it with their friends.

Great Books

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-24

This is a wonderful book, it will make you feel every emotion you have have.

An awsome read

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Review Date: 2008-10-01

This book is mind-numbingly captivating. I dont like getting depressed after reading a book, and I was expecting to find myself knee deep in a semi-horror novel. Such as David Pelzer's "A child called It," (good book by the way) but this story is different. Though the events told in this story are horrific, there is an enchanting light of hope that guides you through the chapters. The good expressed in this book is equal to the bad, and it makes for a well balanced read. The innocents and wisdom this child reflects is just heart wrenching. I love it.

Wonderful book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-31

I could not put this book down! It made my cry a couple of times but it does have a happy ending.

I've read it over ten times

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-20

Since I first read this book over 15 years ago I've read the book over 10 times. I read it three times the first year. I felt it was an amazing story, very touching, and able to tug at me each time I read it. The strength and courage that the author had was amazing.

Mandy (Julie Andrews Collection)

Published in Hardcover by Julie Andrews Collection (2006-08-01)

Author: Julie Andrews Edwards

List price: $16.99

New price: $16.25
Used price: $16.13

Average review score:

Wonderful story for children

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-12-05

I first read this book when I was about 12 -- it was a birthday gift. I don't have many books from my childhood (most are still at Mom's) but I have Mandy.

The book is written by Julie Andrews (the actress -- Sound of Music) and it is lovely and elegant. The writing is smart but not inaccessible, and the plot is touching.

An orphan girl longs for something... something she can not pinpoint. She is the darling of the orphanage, because she has been there a long time. She has the trust of the matron and the cook and the gardener, and she has a lot of freedom (more than many modern girls) but she is lonely and longing. Of course, she wants a family, and barring that, she wants some purpose, some project.

She finds a little clearing, and in the clearing is a beautiful house, all gone to seed. She wonders whether she can fix it up and make it her own. It is off the grounds of the orphanage, so she has to sneak to get away.

She finds great joy in doing the work of bringing the garden back to life, and cleaning out the little house, and getting acquainted with some of the woods and the creatures. But the downside is, she becomes more and more deceitful. She hides her whereabouts, then begins taking cleaning supplies and gardening equipment, and finally tells lies to protect her secret.

There is a happy ending -- I still recall it as a beautiful ending. And I think it is a moral story. It is clear that the lying and sneaking change her personality for the worse, but it is not the end of her, and she reconciles with the people she hurt.

Excellent book.

My favorite book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-16

I read this as a young girl - too many years ago to admit but around the time when it came out - and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! It's one of the first books I can remember being torn between wanting to rush to the ending and not wanting to finish. As an adult I still remember the story very fondly and think about it from time to time. This year when my young neighbor (age 10) was looking for new books to read, I bought her this one. To my surprise she loved it every bit as much as I did! It's timeless!

A young girls secret cottage

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-05

I think this book was read to me in school many many years ago. I remembered it as an adult and purchased it for sentimental reasons. I think it reminded me of The Secret Garden in a way. The seashell cottage was the perfect hideaway that every little girl could dream of making her own. I loved the story of Mandy and found myself wistfully wishing that I had a place like that as a child. What a wonderful story that Julie Andrews has created. I will cherish it always and keep it to pass down to the young girls in my family.

My favorite book as a child!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-30

I read and reread this book about 5 or so times as a child. I simply loved the adventure of it all about the protagonist discovering a home away from home that she could call her very own. This is a fascinating tale for children who love to live in their adventurous daydreams and who love secret hiding places of their own where they can just "be". Although this is a book I would reccomend to children, I wouldn't reccomend it to adults as the plot and drama is very minimal. Adults would be bored of this whereas most children, especially little girls, would be fascinated by the simplicity and beauty described within its pages.

Mandy is obviously the protagonist of this story. She is an orphaned child living in an orphanage with other children of the state. She has a friend that she bonds with over time and gets along farily well with eveyone else, as well as the staff, until the day that mandy climbs over the wall of the orpganage and discovers an abandon cottage! She decides from that moment thatthe cottage is hers and her secret hideaway. She begins to do things that are uncharacteristic of her such as lying about where she has been, stealing from the orphanage supplies to take and supply her new home with, and is suddenly secretive with everyone, even her best friend. Read on to find out about Mandy and what she goes through as a child trying to make a cottage into a home and keep her secret place just that... secret.

Mandy

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-25

Although this book is aimed to appeal to girls approximately between the ages of 7-13, I was in college when Mandy was first released. Being a hugh fan of Julie Andrews, I of course bought the book and was amazed that I could not put it down! To me, a great book has the ability to transport the reader from their day-to-day life into another time and place. I was mesmerized by this charming story from beginning to end as I am sure every child who reads it will be. Mandy is not only a sweet, likeable orphan, but she is very positive role model for children, showing that if you try hard enough, you can make your dreams come true. I admire Mandy's spirit and courage to go after her dream of someday having a real family.
I had read that because Julie Andrews lost a bet to her teenage step-daughter Jenny, that her forfeit was to write her a story, which turned into this wonderful book! Lucky for us readers, the result of that bet gave us our first glimpse at yet another one of Julie Andrews' many talents.
It's been 30 years now since I first read Mandy and I still have my original version of this book in a prominant place on my bookshelf, along with a hardback copy of Mandy and each updated version that has been printed. All the young girls in my family have read this classic book and loved it as much as I do. I only hope someday a movie version of this beautiful story is produced.

A Mother for Choco

Published in Board book by Putnam Juvenile (2003-09-29)

Author: Keiko Kasza

List price: $6.99

New price: $3.22
Used price: $1.12

Average review score:

A Mother for Coco Board book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-20

This is a great book to start my newly adopted great niece's library. The prompt arrival allowed me plenty of time to wrap it for the baby shower. Thank you!

Such a cute book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-17

My 9 month son adores this book. It is a cute, sweet story for any little one and I think he will continue to love it for a long time. His 4 year older brother likes to join in too when I read it.

Get this book!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-07

Please get this book. We are adopting and it has been great to read to our kids and eventually to our son. I've bought several to give to friends. It is great for adopting and non-adopting families. Great!

Beautiful!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-03

I cried reading this book, because it is so beautiful. Recommend it for all kind of families with small children, my son just loved it.

A mother for Choco; a story for my daughter

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-25

I absolutely adore this book. My sister gave it to us before we traveled to China to adopt our daughter. She's just over two now and has read this book with me dozens of times. We both love the illustrations, and even at a very young age, she "gets" the idea that Choco finds a mother in Mrs. Bear, regardless of the fact that they look nothing alike. (I confess I still get misty every time I read it.) The message is delightfully done--not schmaltzy, not overdone. I would recommend this to any family--adoptive or not.

Finding Noel (Unabridged)

Published in Audio Download by audible.com ()

Author: Richard Paul Evans

List price: $29.95

New price: $15.73

Average review score:

Inspiring and touching

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2009-01-06

I listened to this in the car on audio CD. Then, passed it on to my husband. Wonderful book, great story, inspiring. Highly recommend.

A Nice Christmas Book

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Review Date: 2008-12-11

This is the kind of book I like to read around Christmas.It's not sugary sweet. There are warm , sincere people and a happy ending. This is an easy read and I cried a little at the end. Mark and Macy meet one snowy night a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Both of these people have had loses of loved ones . Both are ready to change their lives. There are no miracles or angels in the story . There are wonderful people .Finding Noel is a A- story.

Fast, pleasant experience

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-12-07

The book was exactly what I wanted and arrived quickly and was in the condition the seller assured me it would be. I love reading Richard Evans book and this is a great find for my collection.

finding noel

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-08

Quick delivery and I loved the book. It was so much better then I
expected. Would recommend it.

The Real Story

Helpful Votes: 16 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-07

The irony of fictional writing is that it works best when it comes from a real place. According to author Richard Paul Evans, the background story of his novel "Finding Noel," is drawn from the real-life story of Celeste Edmunds, a woman with whom he used to work.

As with his previous books, this is a personal work for Evans; he uses family names, origins, religion, illness and little slice-of-life things like recipes, traditions and tips to give a homey feel to his characters and story.

"Finding Noel" is also the first book of fiction that features a character diagnosed with eye cancer. Through the character Joette, Evans exposes millions of readers to this rare disease - only 2,000 adults are diagnosed each year - in a way that mainstream media and the inaccessible medical literature have not. For that alone, Evans and his fictional work are the real deal.

The Family Nobody Wanted

Published in Hardcover by Little Brown & Co (T) (1954-06)

Author: Helen Grigsby Doss

List price: $10.95

Used price: $12.25

Average review score:

The Family.....My Family

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-12-31

I would have to credit this family...this book....this story...for the creation of my own family. I first read this book as a nine year old with a Scholastic copy from my classroom library. That was 44 years ago. Because of the Doss Family, I was determined to make adoption a part of my own family. Today I have two internationally adopted children. I will never forget the dismay in the face of our first home study caseworker when she asked why we had turned to adoption. 'It was always in my family plan,' was my response. And I told her about this book and Marjorie Margulies' story of her Vietnamese/Cambodian adoptions, 'They Came to Stay'. Remarkable moms to emulate.

Wonderful, funny and warm

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-24

I read this book in my teens and LOVED it then. I thought of it often in the years that followed. This book can renew your love for the whole human race. It is heart-warming in the best sense of the word. The conversational tone makes it a quick read, but you will want to read it again and again.
It tells the true story of a couple who are unable to conceive and set about to adopt children. The standard policy of the time (1940's - 1950's) was to place children in homes with parents of the same race. When the couple learns of this policy, they are surprised and vehemently object, promising the adoption agencies that the race of the child would make no difference to them. In time, they break down the objections of the agencies and nurture a growing family of children of many races and backgrounds - - providing a lesson in love and equality to the people around them.

Wonderful, Inspiring Book!!!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-09

My mom read this book when she was young, and it inspired her to later have 15 children (9 of them adopted, from different races/cultural backgrounds). This book is so warm, heartfelt and inspiring (especially when you consider the decade in which it was written). The author is a great story-teller, using her family's up's/down's, sad moments, comedic moments for the basis of her story. I only wish that the "preface"/family update (new to this edition) was longer and more specific.... However, after years of being out of print, I am so happy to see that it is being published again. A must read!!!

Changed my life!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-29

I read this book in junior high and fell in love with the idea of a family created from so many orphaned children. At the time I read it I decided that even if I did have biological children I'd try and convince my husband to adopt at least one child. As fate would have it, I haven't ever gotten married but three and a half years ago I adopted a beautiful baby girl from Russia. This book was the real beginning of that journey for me. What a blessing!

Excellent service

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-28

This book was received in excellent condition as it was listed on Amazon. Also, the book was received in a quick manor. Thanks!

Adopting the Racing Greyhound

Published in Paperback by Howell Book House (2003-08-01)

Author: Cynthia A. Branigan

List price: $15.99

New price: $7.33
Used price: $4.99
Collectible price: $15.99

Average review score:

If you're thinking of adopting a retired racer...

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-14

You need to read this book. It is the most comprehensive book of its kind. You will find all of the information necessary to help you make the right decision. Greys are the greatest breed of dog on the planet!

Perfect Retired Racing Greyhound Primer

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-31

This book is an essential item for any who has or will be adopting a racing greyhound. Practical information presented in a logical, no nonsense way.

Adopting the Racing Greyhound

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-15

This book has a lot of important information about caring for your greyhound. I found it to be a great source!

This book was full of interesting & great information on Greys

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-25

I am a first time Greyhound adopter and I'm so glad this is one of the books that was a pre-adoption requirement. I enjoy how Cynthia is so in tune with these wonderful dogs and she gives you the info directly from her heart! They said any book by Cynthia Branigan is worth purchasing, so I'm going to buy her other book on Greyhounds next.

A helpful hand

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-13

This book was such a help as the breed was new to me. I knew nothing about the personality of the breed or what to expect. This book will help any one interested in adopting a Grey through the first months and the life of the pet. The medical information is invaluble as these are things some vets don't know let alone the pet owner. The book not only assists you in knowing the breed before you bring one home, but can greatly assist you in deciding if this is the right pet for you.

Building the Bonds of Attachment: Awakening Love in Deeply Troubled Children

Published in Paperback by Jason Aronson (1999-10-28)

Author: Daniel A. Hughes

List price: $39.51

New price: $43.92
Used price: $22.33
Collectible price: $88.88

Average review score:

Outstanding

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-12-27

This book does an outstanding job of presenting how a child's experiences of early maltreatment can cause significant difficulties and how these can be effectively treatment using a gentle and evidence-based approach; Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy.

Assessing Children with Complex Trauma & Attachment Disorders
Principles of Attachment Parenting
Creating Capacity for Attachment: Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy in the Treatment of Trauma-Attachment Disorders
Building the Bonds of Attachment: Awakening Love in Deeply Troubled Children
Attachment-focused Family Therapy

Adopting a RAD kid, this is the book you should read!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-23

This is a great book for anyone who is adopting or recently adopted a RAD kid. Great information and real life scenarios. You follow a child's journey and learn what makes them do the things that they do. It is a day-to-day parenting guide, with some of the best techniques, logic and insight you will find any where! Easy to read, and not a lot of technical jargon.

Necessity for anyone working with children with a RAD diagnosis

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-21

This book was very helpful and gave much insight from the childs point of view as well as the CYFD worker, therapist and therapeutic foster mothers point of view. Very helpful for anyone working with RAD diagnoses children. Highly recommended!!!!!

Good intro to attachment concepts & treatment...

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-07

As a social work student, I found this book valuable in both its discussion of attachment disorders, including descriptions of how they manifest in children's perceptions and behaviors, and its demonstration of effective interventions. A better understanding of attachment trauma and its effects is essential for preparing case workers, therapists, educators and willing foster parents. It seems we are losing too many children to often ineffective behavioral interventions for conduct disorders because we don't first develop the prerequisite conditions of trust and safety these children need. Hughes makes the point that children can't give what they haven't received, and that includes empathy, affection and authentic kindness.

Heartwrenching and powerful

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-07

Excellent book! A must-read for anyone who works with children. It includes information that I believe anyone around children can utilize. Great information on how to deal with children who have been traumatized but it also has important information about parenting in general and helps us understand how children see the world.

Desert Blood 10pm/9c

Published in Library Binding by Topeka Bindery (2006-02-28)

Author: R. Cree

List price: $17.60

New price: $17.60

Average review score:

AOUSOME BOOK

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-03

YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK< IT ROCKS!
Caution!!!>May not be able to put book down

Put it down. I dare you

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-10

This very well could be the world's first YA Hispanic Mystery novel, I don't know. When I picked it up and read the back, I immediately categorized it as one (as in "let's see what stereotypes we can check off the list today") and dismissed it. But it kept showing up at our local writers' group meetings, so I eventually picked it up and started reading. Twelve pages later, people were calling my name. "DeAnna...DeAnna...it's time for your critiques. Are you ready?" Wha? No more read book? Where book go?

So when I met Ron Cree at a writers' conference, I told him I planned to pick up the book, because I kept reading it when I saw it. He handed me over a copy, which totally floored me. Look, it's the first time this kind of thing has happened to me, all right?

--But enough about how I got the book. Here's the setup:

When the famous Nick Hernandez, star of the hit police action show Desert Blood, adopted Gus Gonzalez a couple of years ago, everybody said his career was going to tank. It certainly opened the door for even more nasty tabloid action than he'd had to face before. But now someone's making threats against Nick and Gus, and Gus is having trouble sorting through all the plots and lies around him to find out who's out to wreck both their lives.

I have to say, I successfully did not suspect Gus. I suspected everyone else, and I had no idea who was guilty until the end. I finished the book in one straight sitting, too -- just as soon as I thought about putting it down, there'd be another hook to pull me along.

Here's the beginning. The rest of the book is just as sarcastic and fun:

"In big, bold letters, the front-page tabloid headline announced that I'd been abducted by aliens: HERNANDEZ HEARTBREAK! ADOPTED SON TAKEN CAPTIVE ABOARD FLYING SAUCER..."

"I was sitting on the edge of my bed, scanning the details of my unfortunate abduction and wondering at the same time if I had a clean shirt to wear."

Desert Blood Author Ronald Cree

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-06

I'm not a kid anymore, but it wasn't long ago that my two were teenagers who experienced angst at every turn. So it wasn't hard to relate to this boy raised in a foster home who seemingly makes good only to feel his new love and security ripped from his reach at every turn. Amid his celebrity status, hero father, teenager Gus Gonzales emerges the true hero of this story, a worthy, smart protagonist and amateur sleuth of amazing proportions. For anyone who loves to see character growth, among an amazing California backdrop of celebrities, glamour and a page-turning who dun it, Desert Blood is a fantastic read and one I couldn't put down.

Action Pack!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-05

I was hooked right away, even with the prologue. Nicely done.
Rich and well-developed characters. I never guessed who done it.

~Leni Checkas
Writer

An entertaining read

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-21

I am a librarian who runs a small public library in rural New Mexico and who loves to read teen literature and mysteries. Once I started Desert Blood 10pm/9c, I found it difficult to put down. I quickly came to care about the main characters, Nick and Gus and Lalo. Nick's movie star status and the fast pace of the mystery as it evolves have appeal for teens. This is an entertaining book that I will be recommending to our teen readers during this year's summer reading program. It is great fun and I will be looking forward to any sequels to get to know Nick and Gus better.

Hannah's Hope: Seeking God's Heart In The Midst Of Infertility

Published in Kindle Edition by NavPress Publishing Group (2005-05-05)

Author: Jennifer Saake

List price: $9.99

New price: $7.99

Average review score:

Great book with Biblical Principals

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-23

My husband and I have been trying to have a baby for 5 years. Through the years I have read many books, but this is now my favorite. Hannah's Hope uses sound Biblical principles and the stories are very inspiring, which is what we all need when we are going through this journey.

Hannah's Hope...Gives Hope

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-28

I have really appreciated this book for its honesty and candidness with the author's struggles as well as some practical information on how to navigate the infertility world with hope, grace, and a view on the Lord.
Thanks

Fantastic!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-02

This is the best book I have read on infertility! Easy to relate to, wonderful biblical reference, and brought me peace in a time of hardship. Enjoy and share!

WONDERFUL!!!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-16

OH what a wonderful book! We struggled with Infertility for years and spent thousands of dollars on treatments with what seemed like no end in sight. I felt so broken, so desperate....I always questioned WHY was this happening to me. Even though my husband was always wonderful & supportive I still hurt...we BOTH did. This book helped me out so much & completely changed the way I looked at my Infertility. I learned so much about myself & the "burden bearers" section of the book was most helpful in telling family members how they could handle this delicate situation as many of them unknowingly can sometimes say the most hurtful things. I had relied on God in the past for support & know that I wouldn't have made it without His comfort & strength as long as I did...but when I began reading this book and found the right places to search in the bible for specific verses, I was a changed woman. This book taught me great patience and that this was a time for me to grow & become closer to God. It gave me great hope and understanding about my struggles with Infertility.....and before I could even get to the end of the book....I got pregnant!!! All in God's time...and what perfect timing it was....just a few days before Thanksgiving! I'm now 13 weeks along and have seen my baby at 3 different times on ultrasound....the baby is perfectly healthy and we are so blessed. I was at my wit's end before starting this book. Of all the books I'd read on Infertility this one helped me the most & I would highly recommend it to anyone else who loves the Lord & is ready to trust in Him completely with their Infertility struggles. Best wishes to all those trying to conceive...may your journey be a short one!

Amazing read

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-01

This book is really life changing. It opens your heart and mind up to issues, thoughts, and feelings you may never have dealt with. This book is very well written and easy to understand. I can't imagine someone NOT liking it and gleaning something from it.

There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children

Published in Hardcover by Bloomsbury USA (2006-09-05)

Author: Melissa Fay Greene

List price: $25.95

New price: $4.94
Used price: $4.91
Collectible price: $25.95

Average review score:

Loved it!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-25

I loved every moment of this book! I purchased this book to give me a better idea of the people and orphans of Ethiopia. I wanted to better understand their culture and have an understanding of who they are. The book illustrates how one Ethiopian woman builds a safe haven for orphaned children and shows the circumstances of each child brought to her home. It informs the reader about the aids epidemic and other diseases that have plagued this beautiful country. For anyone interested in adopting children from Ethiopia, it presents real-life stories and how adoption made a difference for them. The stories and photos are real and the author personally involved. I started to read it more slowly at the end so I wouldn't finish it, I loved it so much!

Best Glimpse into Ethiopian Adoption Culture

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-15

I'm writing this as the mother of an adopted Ethiopian child- I bought this book after a random search and it has been the most valuable book of our whole adoption journey. It's loaded with helpful background info on the AIDS & Orphan crises in Ethiopia, history of Ethiopia, insight into the cultural perceptions of adoption (especially by affluent, white Westerners!) and the very moving perspectives of the orphans themselves, and their Ethiopian caretakers. The heroine of this story is very real, and her character development was deep and insightful. I laid the book down several times to have a good laugh (or cry!) but could hardly keep from turning the pages. Whether you are adopting yourself, supporting someone who is, or just interested in learning more about Ethiopia and this heroine's story, I know you will come away inspired.

An Uplifting Page-Turner

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-22

Author Melissa Fay Greene, who is the adoptive mother of two Ethiopian children, relates the story of Haregewoin Teferra, an Ethiopian mother who becomes the foster mother for a multitude of AIDS orphans during the height of the pandemic. Greene truthfully tells the tale without painting Teferra as a "modern day Mother Teresa," but rather as a very real and human woman who is asked by clerics to take in one abandoned orphan after another. A grieving mother whose adult daughter died from AIDS, Teferra discovers that helping the children provides her with a means of overcoming her grief. The individual stories of these "lost children" who arrive on Teferra's doorstep are riveting, as is Greene's account of the assimilation of her adoptive children into her family. Accompanying photos show children shortly after they arrived in very bad shape at Treferra's compound and then later with adoptive American families.
Greene spares no one as she rails against the pharmaceutical companies that withheld AIDS medications from third-world countries at the height of the pandemic, causing the loss of a whole generation of parents. Despite having no drugs to help the children, hit-or-miss medical care, and scarce food for all, Teferra does her best to feed, clothe, house, and educate the orphans put in her care. Although one might think that this book is a "downer," it is a very uplifting page-turner that relates the indominable spirit of one Ethiopian woman and her many foster children.

Life changing book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-05

Melissa Faye Green is an excellent writer. She is a true artist painting a vivid picture of scenes, and weaving historical, political and social aspects of the deadly HIV/AIDS epidemic. This is an incredibly powerful book. It is not easy to read due to the difficult emotional toll it can take on one, but I felt morally obligated to read it, so that I wasn't just shutting out the devastating misery suffered by so many millions. She portrays the human face of this awful disease with poignancy. It is an inspiring and human story of one woman's efforts to alleviate her own and others suffering. God bless Melissa for opening our eyes.

A truly moving experience

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Review Date: 2008-04-21

This was a wonderful book! Having myself been to Addis Ababa recently (July 07) with my daughter to pick up her adopted Ethiopian baby boy (4 months old), you can just imagine how this story of one woman's love for so many orphans resonated with me. The book is a quick read -- something interesting in every chapter. The author intertwined Haregewoin's up and down story with bits of Ethiopian history and the unwinding spread and theories of HIV-AIDs plus added her own experience with H. and the adoption her own Ethiopian children -- which made the reader come away with a true cultural experience. H. is truly a "Mother Theresa" figure and an inspiration to all women. Thank you, Melissa, for introducing us to her. I really enjoyed having the photos of many of the children and their adoptive families to relate to. I will be sure that my daughter reads this book and I have suggested it to my book club in Boulder, CO which will read it in the fall. -- Gayle Weiss

Adoption Books