Adoption Books

This little book can change your life.

The author, Lee Carroll, is a man of gentle spirit
and wonderful "knowingness." He writes in a
magical way that makes you part of the story
right along with Michael Thomas.

The book provides a roadmap to finding joy and the real you
while weaving a wonderful story of personal awakening and love.
Understanding that "things are not always what they seem" is one
the wonderful "truths" shared in "The Journey Home." This book
and its writer should be part of everyone's personal library.

It is a well known fact among non-corporeal entities that all materials channeled from Kryon are taken verbatim by Kryon from the books of his teacher, Panka Rubeus Jr.

Legal action in the ethereal courts is already in the works, and Panka Rubeus is now taking legal action in Planet Earth courts under advisements.

An excellent book by Kryon , the angelic energy channeled by Lee Carrol.

A story, a parabole. Michael Thomas finds himself at a crossroad and embarques onto a mythical journey where he meets seven angels of the colors of the chakras, many trials and tribulations , tears and joys. A parable of the transformation from 3-d human to human angel and the test and triumphs on the path. Lovely.

For those committed to the path of enlightenment, this book is essential. It contains much needed guidance for the path -- in the form of a well written, exciting parable. I very highly recommend it.

A powerful book. I found myself shifting as I read this book in a span of several hours. The story, so appropriate for our current time, is uplifting, thought-provoking, and touching.

I couldn't put this book down. I thank Lee for sharing her story. I am so encouraged.

This book is certainly one that would be lauded by the pro-life and pro-adoption community. However, after carefully reading the book, I believe that many (if not most) rape victims suffering the consequences of rape-induced pregnancy, would not be able to identify with the reactions and philosophy that Ezell writes about.

This book is certainly one that would be lauded by the pro-life and pro-adoption community. However, after carefully reading the book, I believe that many (if not most) rape victims suffering the consequences of rape-induced pregnancy, would not be able to identify with the reactions and philosophy that Ezell writes about.

I have known I was adopted for all my life, but never had a real since of peace...This book help me see my real mothers point of view and I feel-helped me to forgive her. I hope and pray it will Bless others as much as it Blessed me!

I received this book as a gift from my aunt. I thought my family had resolved to forget that my rape and subsequent pregnancy and adoption of my daughter had ever happened. This book allowed me to realize that they had not forgotten. It allowed me to get inside of the mind of someone else who had been through the same thing I had gone through. It allowed me to realize I was not alone.

I have gone through a lot of healing since my rape, but this was the first time I could actually point to someone else and say "See? She's just like me, and she's not a bad person either." It also helped me to realize a lot of my feelings towards God and resolve some of them. Thank you Lee for writing this book. God bless you and your families. May I someday have as joyous a reunion as you had with Julie.

The Mommy Orphanage is a unique take on the adoption experience and is sure to spark conversations among the thousands of families of adoptees regardless of their country of origin. I shared my copy with a close friend who immediately asked where she could buy a copy for a friend of hers who also had adopted a baby girl from China. I directed her to Amazon so she could share this wonderful story with others.

A heartwarming story you will enjoy sharing with your children and/or grandchildren. An easy read with a light, happy and fun-filled tone!

I found this book a "fly on the wall" look at a tender moment between a mother and daughter. It gives insight to adoption through the little girls eye and would be a tender approach to the subject of adoption no matter what country the adoptee is from. I have bought a copy to donate to the children's section of our local library and plan to do so to the school library in the Fall. The illustrator did a wonderful job of capturing the tender feeling in her use of soft color. I'm glad this was recommended to me as a grandmother of an adopted child and I would like to do the same.

What a heartwarming story! This is an adorable tale which emphasizes the strong bond between mother and daughter. Although obviously written for an older child, our 2 1/2 year old enjoys the story very much. We have recommended this book to people we know who have adopted children. It's so sweet!

My daughter is 5y.o. and was adopted from China. She enjoyed this book as we read it out loud right before bedtime. she enjoys when mom and dad find her tickle spots so this book really got to her in a good way. She started to ask about orphanages and why the US doesn't have them etc. It was a way to get her to ask questions if she had them. We have been reading many many adoption books as a way to encourage her to ask about her own experience. she didn't really focus on the ways moms tried to "bribe" the kids to pick them with chocolate chip cookies or a pony. I didn't mind that because we didn't "bribe" China to pick us. We talked about what was on her mind- orphanages. I was good. I think people have to read other adoption books to their youngster prior to reading this book. It wouldn't be a good first book to talk about adoption but it is good to enhance a family library of adoption books. Good for 5+ children.

I wanted to start this review by looking up the definition of the word Mother. There were multiple definitions, but the one that I liked best was "maternal tenderness or affection". Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I had never had my children. I know that there are many people out there who would do anything to be able to have and/or raise a child, and others who try but somehow fail - this is one of those stories.

Meet Veronica Hartman. At 13 she has been in and out of 9 foster homes, 10 if you count the time she stayed with her Aunt and Uncle - that's where she went after her mother packed up her two brothers and fled for Alaska telling Ronnie "I need you to listen. We can't take you with us. There's not enough room." Shaken down to her very core, Ronnie has been trying everything in order to get reunited with her family. Riddled with behavioral problems from lying to stealing to anger issues, her case worker has turned to Alison as a last resort. Alison is a therapist and is willing to take Ronnie in and give her one last chance to prove that she can change her ways.

Although Ronnie and Alison have a rocky beginning, before long Ronnie seems to be making improvements not only in her behavior, but in her socialization skills as well. She is part of the "in" crowd at school - even though to get there she had to betray the only true friend she had made, someone who accepted her for herself, rather than try to mold her into someone they wanted her to be. And, even though her mother has suffered from drug and alcohol abuse in the past, it seems as if she may have finally gotten her life back on track and will be ready to have Ronnie come and stay with her. The only question is, is it too late?

Reading this book made me think of what it was like growing up. The teenage years are not a pleasant experience for anyone, at least that is what I believe. I can't imagine the additional struggles that are faced by children that are part of the "system". I loved the way the author delved into each character, and even though some of them seemed pretty rotten, she still let you see that there was good in each of them. I think this is very important - people normally don't do bad things on purpose, but are sometimes victims themselves. We should all try to remember that, before we judge others too quickly.

This is a great read for anyone, not just young adults. Thanks for allowing us the opportunity!

Questions for the author:

Do you have any children?

Yes, I have two teen boys. I love writing and working with girls because I grew up in a very "girl" oriented family with two sisters, no brothers, and only one male cousin--and 10 female cousins!
Now that I am the only "girl" in my house (even our dog is a male) I tell my family that I write about and work with girls to get my "girl fix"!

I see that you are a therapist. Have you ever taken in a foster child or did you rely on your experience to help define your characters?

I've never taken in a foster child. But I have worked with many wonderful foster kids and families and this experience allows me to feel very confident about character motivations and story lines. Some of the people I work with have these very incredible things happen to them--good and bad--but I think just listening to voices of teens every week helps to keep my character voices "real".

Are any of your characters based on "real" people or are they just a combination of many?

Ronnie was based on a foster child I worked with many years ago. That is to say I was thinking about what she might be like as a teenager as I wrote Returnable Girl. I met this girl when she was 6 years old, and my own son was 6, and to think about a child having to move from place to place like she did (while my own son was snug in his own bed) was very heart-wrenching to say the least. But Ronnie's "story" is entirely made up as are all of my characters.

Do you have any additional books in the works?

Yes! I'm currently in the process of working on SPOTTING FOR NELLIE.

Here are several reviews from teens (copied as written), many of whom have been in very similar situations to the ones Ronnie lives through in the book:

*I love how you threw a different personality on every character. It made the conflicts that more interesting. I wish I could say one exact character was like me but I can't. Every character had a trait that was like my own in some type of way. -Adrian

*I really enjoyed the book. It made me think about my life, God, the things I've been through. I seem to always mess things up or compare them to others but now I realize that I'm the one who judges me and I need to take responsibility. -Anon.

*After I started reading it more I was so into it I couldn't put the book down. I would recommend this book to my friends because it's such a good book. I loved the book and I think there should be a number 2 because when I got to the end I was like what happens next. I want to know so bad. -Ambera

If you were left behind by your mother with only a bag of clothes to your name, how would you feel towards her? This is the problem for Ronnie, a thirteen year old foster child. She has lived her life being sent to and from many different foster homes and then returned sooner or later. Finally, she gets to one home that is not so bad. Ronnie is the narrator of the story and the story is in diary form. In the story she lives with a Lady named Alison. To her surprise, Alison doesn't send her right back after Ronnie pulls a few "stunts". All of this takes place in the realistic fiction novel, Returnable Girl, by Pamela Lowell.

Returnable Girl is a story of hope, finding a new start, and most of all love. At first Ronnie has trouble staying out of trouble and does some things that many people could never forgive someone for. After you're about 1/8 of a page in, the pages practically turn themselves as Ronnie's fight for a real home stays strong. She comes across my obstacles and "bumps in the road" but she gets through most of them (whether making the right or wrong decision). After making the biggest decision of her life, the story seemed to end too soon. I could have read on and on for thousands of pages more.

I loved the story and I think that any teenage girl would really love it. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves to read and have a strong will for love

Returnable Girl by Pamela Lowell features a headstrong foster child named Veronica (Ronnie) who "has been returned nine times between the ages of eleven and thirteen." As the story begins, she has been living with a foster mother named Alison for three months. Just as Ronnie starts feeling at home, her real mother re-enters the picture, making her wonder if blood is thicker than water. Meanwhile, a new friendship with a popular girl pushes Ronnie away from her only real friend, someone who has her own share of troubles. Just where does Ronnie belong?

Ronnie shares her story with readers in a series of journal entries. Her voice is remarkably real, made of equal parts bitter and longing. She is caught in that awkward period between her childhood and teenage years, and this book is perfect for her peers. It also may be instrumental in counseling sessions and foster homes, where kids who are reluctant to talk about their situation might prefer to read and write about it.

Though one should never judge a book by its cover, I have to say that the cover and the additional images on the book jacket are positively perfect. They show Ronnie exactly how she is, right down to her shoes. What does Ronnie carry around in that big garbage bag? You'll have to read the book to find out.

Pamela Lowell's RETURNABLE GIRL tells of Ronnie, whose mother to Alaska when after becoming involved with a good-for-nothing boyfriend. Ronnie has been 'returned' from numerous foster homes due to her lying and stealing and her last chance is Alison, a new foster mother. While she really longs to be popular, she longs for a real home even more: when given the choice between living with her mother or her last chance at a normal home, which should she choose? A poignant story of abandonment and acceptance evolves.

Someone To Love
By: Francess Lantz

This is a fascinating story of a middle class family that wanted to adopt a baby from a poverty stricken unwed mother. This couple had everything to offer a baby. They were strict parents to their fifteen years old daughter Sara. Sara want to adopt Iris baby as much as her parent did but for different reason. She thought if her parents had a baby to look after they would have less time to be in her business. As the story unfolds, the couple's teenage daughter Sara envies the pregnant teenager lifestyle and want to be like her, and Iris wanted to have the life style that Sara had. After overhearing the couple discussing not wanting Iris around, the two girls ran off together. They both realize this was not the thing to do and they need the couple's help to get though the pregnancy and the birth of Iris baby. This is a great story about adoption and the love of a family. This book would be interesting to students in the seventh grade and above. Parents and teacher could use this book to promote the study of social relation, science, art, geography and health.

In the story "Someone to Love" by Francess Lantz, Sara, on of the main characters who is 15 is an only child. Sara's parents are really strict. Her parents decided that they wanted to adopt a baby. At first Sara feels bad because she thinks that she isn't good enough and thats why her parents want another baby. Later she realizes that maybe that her parents will give all the attention to the baby and they'll stop being so strict. so she agrees with it. Iris is an 18 year old girl who has very little money and is pregnant and decides that giving the baby up for adoption would be the best thing to do. Sara envies the freedom that Iris has and Iris envies the safe home Sara has. This story is written in diary format, Sara isn't writing to her diary, but to the "mystery baby", who is Iris' unborn baby. Even though we only get to hear Saras thoughts, the author still explores all sides of adoption. I would recommend this book to anyone because it keeps you interested and has a vey good plot I rate this book a 5 out of 5.

The book I read was called Someone To Love by Francess Lantz. It's a young adult novel about a girl with odd parents over their decision to adopt a baby, fifteen year old Sara finds herself drawn to the birth mother, who is having second thoughts about giving up her child.
What struck me that is so different about others books I have read is that I always read mystery books and romantic books I have never read a adoption book or a young adult book. None of the books that I read were similar.
" I love being the youngest child why do u have to adopt another child so that baby will take my place thats not fair," said Sara. My reaction compares to this because I am the youngest child and my parents were going to adopt a child but ai told them about my feelings and they understood so we never adopted one so that's how this qoute supports me.
I think this book is not for everyone it could be but I don't think it as to be because this book is about adoption so whoever wants to adopt a baby heres a book you should read. I think this book is great only for those who wants to adopt a baby.

This book is truely wonderful. I myself am tryingto become an uthor and Francess Lantz is a great inspiration. This book is about a young girl and her family as they struggle to aopt an unborn child. It is kept a a diary and is extremly discriptive. I definatly recomend it to anyone who reads adoption or teen pregnancy fiction

The reason I gave this book a 5 was because it was different. I would give it 4 and a half if I could. I enjoyed this book because it is informative about adoption but at teh same time it has an intriging story going on at the same time involving a pregnant teenager and her relationship with the adoptive family of her yet-to-be-born child. However, I didn't understand the actions of many of the characters. It wasn't taht the book was confusing, it was just that it was hard to relate to the charcters. They were somewhat unrealistic but overall I think this book is worth reading.

I happen to run across this book while looking for something to read, something lite and could be read in one sitting, this book is delightful the characters are warm, bright and endearing. The main character the old lady is someone you would like to take home. The drawings are done in black and white. The setting is located on a beach and the scene is so well describe, you just want to take off your shoes and run into the book.
It's a wonderful book to share with your kids.

The Stray by Dick King Smith is a good story. This story mainly takes place at Salt mouth and Seaside. This little old lady named Hennerita, her friends call her Henny, takes a train to a hot and sunny place. She gets really really bored of the same old boring people and the same boring food every day. So she decided to leave and a family of seven people invites Henny into their home to stay.

I think that some parts of the book funny but most of the novel just a normal book. I would recommend this great fictitious novel to anybody who wants to have a good laugh. I think that Henny is a really independent and courageous person, and if you want to know why, read this novel.
By James.s

The Stray is about an elderly woman named Henny. On her birthday she desides to move to a worm place and out of her senior citizen home. When she gets there she meets the Good family. Since at the time she only has one pound left. The Goods give her shelter and food for her watching / playing with their five kids. Soon, Henny gets very sick and can't do much. Once she has gotten over her sickness a burgerler comes. Henny gets Mr. Goods attention. The burgerler is the antagonist. Atfer that, Mr. and Mrs. Good go on vacation. Durring their vacation Henny finds a stray dog and names it Sweep. Mr. and Mrs. Good come home. You will have to read the book to know the ending.

My book is called The Stray, It takes place on the beach and at a nursing home and a house that a old lady runs away from the nursing home because she was bored at the nursing home. This book has lots of action. This is sad too because the old lady thought this boy at the beach was drowning and she thought it was a boy that she knew and she went out to the water and picked the boy up and carried him to the beach. The boy was saying let me go and this boy�s dad said to this old lady let go of my son so the old lady let go of the boy and saw the boy that the old lady was looking for then she had a heart attack. Then she fell over on the beach. Then the boy�s dad came to the beach and saw the old lady that he lived with on the sand of the beach.
I think everybody that likes to read should like this book because it has lots of action. I think all ages would like this book because it has kids in it that little kids would like and it has hard words in it for older people.
The author�s main idea is a old lady running away and living with 4 kids and a mom and a dad. In the morning the kids and the old lady goes to the beach. and at night they go home and sleep.
I would give this book 15 stars if it was a scale from 0-15 and i would also give it two thumbs up.

this book was a nice, pleasant, funny, book. though it is short, it has great characters like henny, rowley, and sweep. sweep is so cool.

This journal is a MUST have for those waiting to be matched with their forever child. It helps validate the waiting period, and is nice to reflect upon after placement.

Great book! This book has lots of helpful information for anyone adopting. The reason I didn't give it 5 starts is because of the sections where you can use it to record your own journey. I found some of the language kind of cheesy and narrow. Not all adopting people are married and adopting infants. The cover has a picture of a cute Asian baby, but again, very limiting in scope. I would highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain info and support, but would recommend they might keep looking to find a book to put in the family's hopechest.

TILL THERE WAS YOU is a personal adoption journal that would make a great gift for friends who are contemplating forming a family through adoption. And if you're considering the adoption option, give it to yourself! As an adoptive mother and support group facilitator, I worried at first that Rebecca Lyn Gold's discussion of the pre-adoption period as a "pregnancy" was just another all-too-frequent denial by adoptive parents of the unique aspects of adoption. Not so! Gold examines, through her own poignant journal entries and those of other adoptive parents, the pivotal issues that must be explored in order to parent with acceptance and love a child to whom one did not give birth. In "First Trimester," she reflects upon questions dealing with the resolution of infertility issues. I especially identified with the entry about how to handle the reactions of friends. Adoption is "a life choice," Gold concludes. "And if I am to love that child, I am to love every part of him or her. So I better figure out how to talk about adoption to anyone and everyone, as easily as I will talk about potty training when that question comes up." Perhaps Gold's designation of the waiting period faced by adoptive parents as a "pregnancy" will help lessen for others the envy I felt for my pregnant friends. During the "second trimester," Gold questions who the adopted child will be to the adoptive parents and the extended family. In a tender section called, "Visualize Your Child," Gold identifies with the trauma of the newborn who perceives body rhythms, voices, and language unlike those experienced in the womb. In considering a child from another culture, Gold asks, "Who am I to rob this baby of her natural born heritage and force her to live within mine?" The questions are significant ones which Gold handles with awareness and sensitivity. Gold's "third trimester" occurs with no due-date. ("Whether or not you've ever had a 'weight' problem, you've got one now... all you can do is WAIT," she quips.) This is a time to "welcome the child into your life and your family before she arrives." Gold writes a touching poem to her yet unborn baby: "I am nine months pregnant in my heart and ready to explode with all the love I pray you'll ever need," she writes. "I crave to hold you in my arms, To touch your little toes and kiss you behind your knees." In her own "Dear Baby" letter, Gold's daughter concludes, "We're all anxiously waiting for your arrival. I love you. Your big sister, Nisha." After Gold talks about preparing the baby's room and home ("Nesting" she calls it.), she shares the reflections of her husband and other adoptive parents during this period of waiting. "Do whatever it takes to make it feel REAL," she advises. Finally, there's "The Big Day." The arrival of one's child is a miracle fraught with conflicting emotions. Gold reflects upon her own feelings of joy intermingled with empathy for the beautiful woman who entrusted her baby to Gold and her husband. In a poignant entry called, "First Night," she tells her beloved Camila what every adopted child must hear repeatedly throughout a lifetime: "I know if things were different, Camila, she would have wanted to keep you and watch you grow up. There is no doubt in my mind that she loves you very, very much." Throughout, Camila's welfare ranks first to her adoptive parents, as well it should. TILL THERE WAS YOU, lovingly dedicated to "my daughter's birthmother," is laced with touching photographs taken by the author and others depicting parents and children of different ethnic backgrounds. They bring a smile and feeling of warmth to the reader. In addition, Gold shares the expertise of the therapist whom she consulted during her "pregnancy." Throughout the book are numerous pages for the reader's own journal entries. My disappointments? I'd like to have read Gold's personal adoption story first, to place her meditations in clearer context. Instead, she provides ten pages of narrative toward the end of the book. I also found myself wishing that more careful proofreading and copy editing had occurred to avoid the distraction of missing words and grammatical errors. But perhaps the relaxation of such imposed standards encourages the reader to write reflections without worrying about the unnecessary distraction of "correctness." I found the section "Parenting an Adopted Child" a disappointment because it provided none of the specific understandings that adoptive parents need to help their children accomplish the unique developmental tasks that adoptees must accomplish to grow up with self-esteem. But after all, that information really doesn't fall within the confines of TILL THERE WAS YOU. Instead, I challenge Gold to follow the same format as she parents her precious Camila and to provide a sequel to this important publication.

I like the idea of recording feelings and thoughts prior to the day the baby arrives and marvel why my husband and I hadn't done so. I wish we had had a book like this or Kirsten Davis's Waiting for You: An Heirloom Adoption Journal for My Future Child. I think Rebecca Gold's likening the pre-adoption waiting period to a "pregnancy" should not be misinterpreted as a denial that adoptive parenting is different from biological parenting but rather as a clever literary device or at any rate as a time of reflection of sorting out, during each trimester, the issues of infertility, the complexities of entitlement and the final hours of waiting. I personally never tried to deny that our daughter was given birth by another woman but can confess this much: My excitement during the year of waiting and then, in the end of sitting by the telephone waiting for our agency to inform us of the birth---all this turmoil made me experience what I can only classify as first stage labor pains!
Of course, not everyone who adopts is married and not everyone adopts an infant, and so Rebecca Gold's book may for some readers not be general enough. But then, it is not possible to please everyone by including all aspects of adoption.

Gisela Gasper Fitzgerald, author of ADOPTION: An Open, Semi-Open or Closed Practice?

This book helps bring your pregancy to life. It reminds couples that they are not the first to be expecting without an outward sign. It allows couples to include their soon to be birth parent/s of their one day son or daughter actively in thier everday life. This book reminded us that Stage 1 is the longest and does not last forever. Rebecca Gold speaks form the heart. This book adds much insight and encouragement to adoptive families. This book should be the adoptive parent hand book. Thank you, Thank you for sharing your "pregancy". THANK-YOU again.

This workbook packs a punch for empowering kids to own and control the information that is their stories. I have worked through these with kids starting school (because that's when the first differences are noticed on the playground) but the most effective time is when your child is reading and writing. This is not a one time tool, but one that evolves as your child grows and understands their place in the world and how they want to communicate that to others. It is also a great way to get your child talking if you suspect bullying or teasing. Knowing that others have ways to deal with that kind of behavior is helpful to children.

Marketed like it was a full sized book, it is not. Good stuff but it's only 29 pages long which was disappointing. It was highly recommended.

Children sometimes find themselves in awkward situations with their peers or even with insensitive adults, when issues of personal history arise. W.I.S.E. Up! provides the answer. This book teaches children (and their parents, too) how to manage intrusive questions about adoption and a child's background. Four types of responses, from walking away to educating the questioner, are presented for the child's consideration. Through role play and examples, it encourages the child to make his/her own decision about how to respond. It empowers them! A terrific book for children aged 6 to 16 !!

This book is a wonderful tool to help children who are adopted deal with questions they might encounter from friends and school mates. It gives children permission to reveal only as much as they want, and also lets them know that they can reveal different amounts of information to different people. I like that the book did not concentrate on proper adoption language. During the elementary years, even my own kids are not sure what "real" parents mean, and getting bogged down in trying to be proper ends up being more confusing than helpful.

It's a very easy to use guide, and I consider it a must-have for any adoptive family with school-age children.

My eight year old loved this book. After reading this book this book with me, she asked me to please buy the whole series. I wish that there was a W.I.S.E UP series of books. I especially like the fact that the book is designed to be read with your child. The book encouraged my daughter to share her thoughts about adoption with me instead of hiding her feelings in her journal.

I'll leave the Greek words and distinctions to the scholars who appear to have read the book and found it laborious and perhaps even dull. My lay understanding comes as a Christian who brings those to Christ in recovery programs if they want to confess and believe per Romans 10:9.A New Way In: Reaching the Heart of a Child of God in Recovery with His Own, Powerful, Historical Roots. The Old Testament treated the Jews as adopted children because they were not born of the spirit of God. The New Testament, and the writings of Peter and Paul, talked about the opportunity for "adoption" by being born again of the spirit of God, a miraculous gift made available by the accomplishments of Christ. Granted there are different understandings of "adoption." But I find great solace in the fact that Paul emphatically carried the message that he desired that all Israel be saved, and made clear that the "mystery" meant that the Gentiles could become fellow heirs of the promise. For those of us who want to become children of the living Creator as part as our march out of sin, misery, and illness, the important message is the ease of being born again The Golden Text of A.A.: God, the Pioneers, and Real Spirituality (Why It Worked-- A.A. History Series), The Conversion of Bill W.: More on the Creator's Role in Early A.A., When Early AAs Were Cured and Why, Third Edition. And the day-in-day out challenge and difficulty of walking in Fellowship.Why Early A.A. Succeeded: The Good Book in Alcoholics Anonymous Yesterday and Today (A Bible Study Primer for AAs and Other 12-Steppers).

What is most important in a book like this is the content that is inside, although I must share my thankfulness to the seller for granting me to have the book in mint condition. I give my thanks to Trevor J. Burke for his composition of a thoroughly detailed, truly theological perspective on the love of God the Father for undeserving sinners.

I must note that, before I had intended on purchasing this book, I had been struggling with legalism (the idea that, somehow or another, it is my duty to keep God's love for me by keeping his commandments, else I would perish in hell). Thanks be to God himself for sending his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die for exactly that which I had thought was my duty to keep: God's law! But, no! No human being can keep God's law (James 2:8-11)! So, God, out of his love, sent his Son to deliver sinners from his wrath and from slavery under the law (1 John 4:9,10)!

This book is being a major blessing for me. Just to see - for example - that God the Father brought the Israelites out of Egypt - because of his love for them as his own children - and despite of their disobedience to him, is just amazing. And, did you know that when, in Exodus 4:22, the LORD says, "Thus, Israel is my firstborn son," he is actually pointing (by the word "firstborn") to another son (in that Israel was a nation, with the Israelites as sons and daughters of God, God is actually pointing to another nation of believers: non-Jewish sinners - Gentiles like you and me)? Oh the truth that God the Father determined before he created the universe that he would save a people to himself and adopt them into his family, with him as their loving Father (Ephesians 1:4-6)! It is glorious! How could we be so inclined to try to keep his law as a means of our being justified before him when he determined before the creation of the universe that his law would only serve to show us that we are sinners deserving of his wrath so that we may be bought by the blood of his Son out of slavery to the law and into his family and into his loving care and affection! This - and for many other reasons - is why I am being blessed by this book.

I suggest that you purchase and read this book. It is long, very detailed, and requires hours of reading, but you will be blessed by the book. I guarantee it. Whether you know God the Father and his Son in a personal relationship, or whether God the Father has brought you by his grace to an interest in who he is and what he is like and is drawing you to himself - as he so faithfully does to all those who come to know him and receive eternal life, this book will be a blessing to you. Take a chance, and take the time, to purchase and read it.

Having recently experienced a "long day's journey into night" in my own spiritual life, I know firsthand what it means to have temporarily experienced the seeming loss of God's presence and care and then to have found it again. In this process, I rediscovered the reality of God's relationship with me.

Trevor Burke's treatise on the subjective sense in which "sons" of God resonates with the personal experience of the believer in his/her relationship to God magnificently captures the concrete essence on what it means to be adopted into God's family; a condition that is far more relational than positional and characteristic of what it means to embrace a redefined understanding of what constitutes a family.

For anyone who perceives God to be an ephemeral presence, this book is a true wakeup call to what it means to be in sympathetic relationship with Christ and to all those who call on God as heavenly father who makes all things right.

It took me a pretty long time, but I finally finished Adopted into God's Family, from the New Studies in Biblical Theology series, written by Trevor Burke. This is my second book from this series, the first being Slave of Christ by Murray Harris.

In Adopted into God's Family Burke explores the Pauline metaphor of Adoption found in Ephesians, Galatians and Romans. He concludes that the adoption metaphor was likely based on the Roman legal adoption by the paterfamilias of men primarily for the sake of family honor. Burke does a thorough job of expanding the metaphor from all different parts of scripture as well other historical and cultural contexts.

So far both books have been painful to read; literature that I really have to kind of trudge through. The majority of the reason being that there are various, basically, style and organization things that make it daunting to truck through. The two big ones are, one, the font seems to be slightly smaller than usual and two, the chapters are relatively long for the topic. Most of the classic literature that I read has an archaic style of breaking up content that, I think, is much better and keeps information rolling as well as well organized in my brain.

In lots of classic literature chapters will sometimes be 40 - 50 pages long (at least in modern reprints), but will be broken up every two or three pages by numbered headings, subheadings and sub-subheadings. In this series of books, it seems that the trend is more toward long winded chapters and just a few subheadings spread throughout the chapter. This kind of organization means that if you want to read, you need to be committed to a good 15 - 20 minutes of reading, otherwise you'll lose your place next time. No reading these babies on the john. I know that's nitpicky and probably just the way the genre works, but it's a pain the butt for me.

Once I got passed the personal grievances, Adopted into God's Family was awesome. Of course, incidentally, it took me the entire book to get over those personal grievances. The point is though that the content of the book is so rich and the exploration of theology is so thorough and robust that while reading, it will be painful and daunting, but once done will offer a beautiful new perspective on scripture that really brings the metaphors to life. This I have found true with both installments of this series that I have read.

When reading scripture, we have a pseudo-understanding of what Paul means when he says we've been adopted. However, after reading this book, the metaphor carries far more weight and his words become much more meaningful.

Adopted is definitely a scholarly book. If you're going to read it, and benefit from it, you're going to need to commit to it, even if the going gets tough. If you finish, you'll almost certainly be enriched. For this reason, I don't recommend this book or series for casual readers. I suspect that pastors, lay people and bible students will have a lot to gain from this study.

Trevor Burke's book is a welcome addition to the New Studies in Biblical Theology series.

One of his essential premises is that the theme of adoption in Paul's letters has been historically misunderstood. Burke's goal is to help provide a balanced view of this theological theme and its implications for life.

His exegesis is stimulating and Trinitarian in focus, something which he clearly shows is directly from the text of scripture. All three Persons of the Trinity are in view considering the context of the five passages mentioning adotpion (though the Spirit occurs in four of the five).

Burke reveals an impressive grasp of Greek and the cultural situation of the times. And his vast knowledge of secondary literature surrounding the five passages in question is quite clear from the dialogue with contemporaries and also the footnotes and bibliography.

Finally to end with the beginning of the book, Burke's preface is excellent, providing an interesting glimpse into his own life and the impact that the concepts of adoption and sonship have had in his own life.

(...)

Finally people are beginning to realize that adoption doesn't end for the birthmother when she signs the relinquishment papers, or for the adoptive parents when the court papers are signed, and certainly not for the adoptee. It's a lifelong adjustment that brings unique issues to all the members. A welcome change for those of us who had to survive the era when everyone thought the best way to handle adoption was to keep secrets and tell lies.

I bought this book while working through our first adoption. We were struggling with deciding between the different types of domestic adoptions. I thought this book would give some insight. I have to say, it was challenging to get through. I actually could not finish the book. It seemed wordy to me and did not come to any clear points - in the parts that I read anyway. I believe there are better organized, more fact-based books out there for those interested in learning about the pros and cons about the different types of domestic adoptions.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in adoption. First of all, it is very thorough, analyzing many aspects of adoption from a number of different angles. The author isn't trying to push any particular point of view on the reader, but instead gives a nice overview of the relevant issues, and at times adds her opinion. Not only is there a lot of useful information in this book, but it also is a heartwarming story about the author's adoption of her daughter and eventual reunification with the birth mother. It is a very engaging story, and should be read by anyone wanting to learn more about adoption, or anyone who enjoys a heartwarming story.

This is a very interesting combination of memoir and advocacy. Most books promote one adoption practice over the other, sometimes even with a fundamentalist air to it. Fitzgerald takes up all three practices: closed, semi-open and open, and rejects closed, or secret adoption because of her personal experience with it, but then wrestles with what might be a better practice, open or semi-open. The research cited on the issue seems, at this time, to favor the semi-open practice but leaves open the idea that there is no one-size-fits all approach. Fitzgerald's experience with the birthmother is touching and also the birthmother's belief that she could not have coped with an open adoption but would have preferred a semi-open one over secrecy. By contrast, the daughter, now an adult and a mother herself, would once more have wanted a closed adoption. Anyone looking for a straight-forward answer about adoption practices will not find one. It is truly an individual matter. Become as informed as possible and then decide for yourself what practice would be best for you.

Once I began reading this book, I really couldn't put it down.The fact that I had a personal interest in it..(I am the birthmother mentioned)..made this book very compelling, indeed!It also gave me great insight into the perspectives of the adoptive parents, and revealed the feelings and the emotions of the adopted child herself.She was no longer the infant of my imagination, but a full-grown accomplished young woman with a mind of her own!Notably, this is not a book just for the benefit of the characters in it, but moreover it is a book anyone would find interesting. It is a memoir;it is an education;it's a reflection;it's real life!It will stir your emotions and challenge your previous beliefs,biases,and/or prejudices.It will stimulate new thought and bring light into the world of adoption!
Many truths spark the wisdom of this book and it will inform and delight the reader.I highly recommend it!