ReadingGrrls Paper Safari

Publication Date:  October 15, 2022 Format:  Audio Genre:   Memoir/adoption Narrators:  Ellen Davis Publisher:  Between the Lines  Length:  6 hours 45 min Buy:  Kindle  |  Audio Synopsis In the late 1960s, at the age of eighteen and living far from home amidst the thriving counterculture of Ottawa, Marilyn Churley got pregnant. Like thousands of other women of the time she kept the event a secret. Faced with few options, she gave the baby up for adoption. Over twenty years later, as the Ontario NDP government’s minister responsible for all birth, death, and adoption records, including those of her own child, Churley found herself in a surprising and powerful position–fully engaged in the l...

Publication Date:  August 18, 2020 Format:  Paperback Genre:   Fiction Publisher:  Mulholland Books Length:  354 pages Buy:    Kindle  |  Paperback  Synopsis Dr. Margo Dunlop is at a crossroads. Her adoptive mom just passed away, and Margo misses her so much she can't begin to empty the house-or, it seems, get her brother on the phone. Not to mention she's newly single, secretly pregnant, and worried about her best friend's dangerous relationship. In an effort to cheer herself up she goes in search of her birth mother. Instead she finds Nikki, her mother's sister. Aunt Nikki isn't what Margo expects, and she brings upsetting news: Margo's mother is dead. Worse, she was murdered years ago, and her killer is still at large—and sending Nikki...

Release Date:  February 6, 2018 Publisher:  Thomas Nelson Format:  Audio Length:  7 hours 4 minutes Narrator:  Rachel Hollis Genre:  Personal Growth Buy:   Audible  |  Kindle   Synopsis:  Do you ever suspect that everyone else has life figured out and you don't have a clue? If so, Rachel Hollis has something to tell you:  That's a lie . As the founder of the lifestyle website TheChicSite.com and CEO of her own media company, Rachel Hollis developed an immense online community by sharing tips for better living while fearlessly revealing the messiness of her own life. Now, in this challenging and inspiring new book, Rachel exposes the 20 lies and misconceptions that too often hold us back from living joyfully and productively, lies we've told ourselves so often we don't even hear them anymore. With painful honesty and fearless humor, Rachel unpacks and examines the falsehoods that once left her feeling overwhelmed a...

Release Date: June 6, 2017 Publisher: Ballantine Books Format: Kindle Pages: 352 pages Genre: Historical Fiction Buy: Kindle | Hardcover Synopsis: Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize that the truth is much darker. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together—in a world of danger and uncertainty. Aitken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding...

Release Date: January 21, 2015 Publisher: Angela Hunt Communications Inc Format: Audible Length: 2 hours 55 minutes Narrator: Becky Doughty Buy: Audio | Kindle  | Paperback Synopsis: Megan and Dave Wingfield want nothing more than to be parents--to welcome a child of their own. When they aren't able to conceive after two years of trying, they decide to adopt and find that journey is also fraught with mishaps and the potential for broken hearts. Can Megan learn to trust God with the desires of her heart? Review:  The narrator was a bit distracting - her pacing was a bit strange and her voice, though she tried to change it for each character seemed almost robotic and lacking in emotion. I felt like I was listening to Hal from 2001 a space Odyssey read a book.  I think I would recommend reading this on kindle or paperback instead of listening to the audio since the narration is so distracting. Since I am not a very religious person and was not raised in th...

Release Date: March 1, 2015 Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Format: Paperback Pages: 38 pages Genre: Adoption Search Buy: Paperback   Synopsis: After discovering that her son's friend, Ryan, is on the search for his birthparents, Lynn Assimacopoulos decides to use her skills as a genealogical hobbyist to find them. Delving through phone books, sending letters, and searching everything from the local library to the National Archives, Lynn is defeated by the lack of information she has to go on. However, a random search for Ryan's birthmother's name in an internet search engine yields a photograph of a family. Could this be the correct person? If so, will she even want to revisit her past and get to know Ryan? About the Author Lynn Assimacopoulos is a retired healthcare worker. Although she wrote for professional nursing journals in her adult life, she has been writing poetry and short stories since she was eight years old. When she is not writing or reading, she ...

Release Date: July 20, 2016 Publisher: Createspace Format: Paperback Pages: 250 Pages Genre: Fiction Buy: Kindle | Paperback Synopsis: Saraya Matthews knows that at thirty two years old, life should look better than this. With no spark and no passion, she decides enough is enough. She is going to find her purpose and stop wasting her life away. Little does she know, her purpose will come in the form of an orphaned baby boy whose mother has been gruesomely murdered on the streets of London. Saraya finds herself in a battle between what's legal and what's morally right. The authorities expect her to hand him over, but baby Flynn needs her. Saraya is surprised to discover that once she lets herself love him, she can't turn back. Flung full force into the unexpected position of mother and protector, she realises she will do whatever it takes to keep her baby safe in her arms. But will she succeed? A tale of unconventional adoption and the immeasurable strength of ...

Release Date:  June 28, 2016 Publisher:  Lake Union Publishing Format:  Kindle Pages:  362 pages Genre: Fiction   Buy:   Paperback  |  Kindle Synopsis:  When twenty-year-old Anna Carlson travels from America to a Korean orphanage to locate her birth mother, she’s devastated to learn the woman is already dead. But just when it seems her search is over, a stranger hands her a parcel containing an antique comb—and an address. That scrap of paper leads Anna to the Seoul apartment of the poor yet elegant Hong Jae-hee. Jae-hee recounts an epic tale that begins with the Japanese occupation of Korea and China during World War II, when more than two hundred thousand Korean women were forced to serve the soldiers as “comfort women.” Jae-hee knows the story well—she was one of them. As Jae-hee’s narrative unfolds, Anna discovers that the precious tortoiseshell comb, with its two-headed ivory dragon, has survived against all odds through g...

Release Date: May 7, 2016 Publisher: American Bar Association Format: Paperback Pages: 224 pages Genre: Adoption Buy: Paperback | Kindle Synopsis: Adopting a child is an extraordinarily important decision. In this authoritative guide, adoption experts Robert and Jeffrey Kasky provide all the information needed to navigate the adoption process and to successfully adopt a child. The book discusses the various types of adoptions; alerts readers to adoption scams; and guides readers in selecting a reputable attorney or adoption agency. Highlights include: The rights of the birth mother, birth father, and the issues involved in an open versus a closed adoption. The costs associated with adoption Stories of actual adoptions that exemplify key points  Review:  Aside from the hideous title this is actually a very informative book.  There were a few things that I found incorrect in the book regarding private adoptions in all states when not all states allow priva...

Release Date: November 18, 2015 Publisher: Createspace Format: Paperback Pages: 122 pages Genre: Adoption Buy: Paperback   Synopsis:  Adoption is how you came to be a family- not a parenting style. Be the parent you are meant to be- the parent your child needs you to be, today. Adoptee, author, speaker, blogger and mommy, Madeleine Melcher is a breath of fresh air in a climate of negativity. Melcher’s piece, What an Adoptee Wants You to Know About Adoption, garnered over 87-thousand likes on The Huffington Post for just that reason. Melcher is honest and full of candor, regarding the realities of adoption and what that means to your parenting. You may be surprised at what you read! Her message has been described by parents who have adopted as, "life-giving"! Review:   Written as a series of letter to parents who have adopted Madeleine Melcher offers positive encouragement and advice.  There are several important take-aways I received from this book....

Release Date: March 1, 2016 Publisher: Oxford University Press Format: ebook Pages: 248 pages Genre: Adoption Buy: Kindle | Hardcover Synopsis: International adoptions have decreased dramatically in the last decade, despite robust evidence of the tremendous benefits that early placement in adoptive families can confer upon children who are not able to remain with birth families. Topics include: the effects of institutionalization on children's developing brains, cognitive abilities, and socio-emotional functioning; the challenges of navigating issues of identity when adopting across national, cultural, and racial lines; the strong emotional bonds that form even without genetic relatedness; and the methods in which adoptive families can address the special needs of children who experienced early neglect and deprivation, thereby providing a supportive environment in which those children can flourish. Review: Rebecca Compton is a mother and psychologist who on her jou...

Title:   Anything For Amelia: A true story of the challenges endured by two gay men who had the desire to adopt a child. by Andrew C. Branham Publisher: First Edition Design Publishing Format: Kindle Pages: 209 pages Genre: Adoption, memoir, lgbt Synopsis:  A true story of the challenges endured by two gay men who had the desire to adopt a child. When Andrew and DJ decided to adopt and bring a child into their lives, little did they know what they were about to endure; yet never did the thought cross their minds to give up. The horrific, pitilessly, and beyond comprehensible hoops one woman would make them jump through demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that little Amelia was going to be much better off in the loving home that Drew and DJ could provide her. Just when you think, how can two people survive such a nightmare and the journey is just about over when little Amelia is born and will be safely in the arms of her loving dads, Sandi decides to pull one ...

Title:   Half a World Away by Cynthia Kadohata Publisher:  Atheneum Books for Young Readers Format: Kindle Pages: 256 pages Genre: Adoption Synopsis:  Eleven-year-old Jaden is adopted, and he knows he’s an “epic fail.” That’s why his family is traveling to Kazakhstan to adopt a new baby—to replace him, he’s sure. And he gets it. He is incapable of stopping his stealing, hoarding, lighting fires, aggressive running, and obsession with electricity. He knows his parents love him, but he feels...nothing. When they get to Kazakhstan, it turns out the infant they’ve traveled for has already been adopted, and literally within minutes are faced with having to choose from six other babies. While his parents agonize, Jaden is more interested in the toddlers. One, a little guy named Dimash, spies Jaden and barrels over to him every time he sees him. Jaden finds himself increasingly intrigued by and worried about Dimash. Already three years old and barely able to speak, D...

Title: How Open Should My Adoption Be?: Levels of Openness In Adoption (Guide to a Healthy Adoptive Family, Adoption Parenting, and Open Relationships Book 3) by Russell Elkins Publisher:  Inky's Nest Publishing Format: Kindle Pages: 50 Genre: Adoption, Synopsis:  This book is part of a four book series that can be purchased together as an ebook set. An open adoption relationship can be scary! Open adoption means that an adopted child has a relationship with his or her biological family. But just how “open” should that relationship be? There is nothing in this world like an open adoption. Because of that, it’s hard to foresee the many different scenarios that will come. You do your best to plan ahead, but you’ll still find yourself in situations you hadn’t fully considered. Should you connect with your child’s birthparents on social media? Should you allow face-to-face visits? How often should you share photos and letters? This book cannot answer these types ...

Title:  Which One of You is the Mother?: The Absolutely Positively True Adoption Story of Two Gay Dads by Sean Michael O'Donnell Publisher: Amazon Digital Services Format: Kindle Pages: 130 pages Genre: Adoption, LGBT Synopsis:  After fifteen years of up-all-night gay disco dance parties, Sean O'Donnell and his longtime partner Todd decided to trade in their leather chaps for mom jeans and start a family. In August 2012 the not-so ambiguously gay duo walked into a Pittsburgh-based adoption agency and said, "We'd like a child, please." For the next several months they attended parenting classes, subjected themselves to probing FBI background checks, and completed enough paperwork to reforest the whole of the Amazon River basin. Despite lacking a magical baby-making vagina the pair successfully made omelets without eggs when in July 2013 they flew to Oregon to meet their seven-year-old son for the first time. No longer Sean and Todd they would now be fore...

Title:   In Their Voices: Black Americans on Transracial Adoption by Rhonda M Roorda Publisher: Columbia University Press Format: Paperback Pages: 352 pages Genre: Adoption, race Synopsis:  While many proponents of transracial adoption claim that American society is increasingly becoming "color-blind," a growing body of research reveals that for transracial adoptees of all backgrounds, racial identity does matter. Rhonda M. Roorda elaborates significantly on that finding, specifically studying the effects of the adoption of black and biracial children by white parents. She incorporates diverse perspectives on transracial adoption by concerned black Americans of various ages, including those who lived through Jim Crow and the Civil Rights era. All her interviewees have been involved either personally or professionally in the lives of transracial adoptees, and they offer strategies for navigating systemic racial inequalities while affirming the importance of black co...

Title:   God and Jetfire: Confessions of a Birth Mother by Amy Seek Publisher: Farrar, Straus, Giroux Format: Kindle ebook Pages: 353 pages Genre: Adoption, Birth Parents, memoir Synopsis :  God and Jetfire  is a mother's account of her decision to surrender her son in an open adoption and of their relationship over the twelve years that follow. Facing an unplanned pregnancy at twenty-two, Amy Seek and her ex-boyfriend begin an exhaustive search for a family to raise their child. They sift through hundreds of "Dear Birth Mother" letters, craft an extensive questionnaire, and interview numerous potential couples. Despite the immutability of the surrender, it does little to diminish Seek's newfound feelings of motherhood. Once an ambitious architecture student, she struggles to reconcile her sadness with the hope that she's done the best for her son, a struggle complicated by her continued, active presence in his life. Review: Amy Seek writes a gutwrenc...

Title:   Sophia's Broken Crayons: A Story of Surrogacy from a Young Child's Perspective by Crystal Falk Publisher: Amazon's digital Services Format: E-book Genre: Surrogacy, Children Synopsis:  Why is the sky blue? Why do dogs bark? When will I be tall? Where do babies come from? Kids ask a lot of questions. Some of them are easier to answer than others. Explaining why someone would choose to become a surrogate or why a family would choose a surrogate to help grow their family are even harder questions to answer. Sophia’s Broken Crayons can help you answer those questions.  (50)Review:  A simplistic story to explain surrogacy to a young child.  The book is geared toward ages 2-6 and would be great to help children of surrogates understand why the baby isn’t staying with them and also to help the child that is born through surrogacy understand the process.  It doesn’t get into great detail it just talks about how one family shared their tummy t...

Title:   The Search for Dixie Lee by Sharolyn L. Sievert Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform Pages: 116 pages Format: Paperback Genre: Adoption search Synopsis:  Sharon Bette Koepp had been raised by strict, religious parents. Arnold Koepp was an elder in the church; Mamie was the organist and choir director. Life revolved around not doing anything that would make the neighbors talk. Who was to know that during the Search for Dixie Lee, Sharon would find a family that had everyone talking? The Search for Dixie Lee is a true story; taken not from the front page headlines, but from scraps of paper, family stories, old letters, and of course, the court records. It could be the story of anyone, your own mother or father, perhaps even yourself. (31) Review: Written for her mother Sharolyn Sievert researches the past to find her mothers birth family.  What she finds is a story of a birth mother trying to keep her family together, and a system that...

Title:   Bird by Crystal Chan Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers Format: Paperback Pages: 295 pages Genre: Young Adult, Adoption Synopsis:  Jewel never knew her brother Bird, but all her life she has lived in his shadow. Her parents blame Grandpa for the tragedy of their family’s past: they say that Grandpa attracted a malevolent spirit—a duppy—into their home. Grandpa hasn’t spoken a word since. Now Jewel is twelve, and she lives in a house full of secrets and impenetrable silence. Jewel is sure that no one will ever love her like they loved Bird, until the night that she meets a mysterious boy in a tree. Grandpa is convinced that the boy is a duppy, but Jewel knows that he is something more. And that maybe—just maybe—the time has come to break through the stagnant silence of the past. (9)Review:  Bird is a middle school grade novel by first time author Crystal Chan .  Jewel was born on the day her brother, Bird died. His real name was John b...