Customer Reviews

Adopting Alyosha: A Single Man Finds a Son in Russia

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Robert Klose has done an outstanding job informing his readers of the sometimes nightmarish process of adopting a child. Klose captures his readers attention immediately by indicating that the difficulties are underscored by his being a single male. Add to this the unscrupulous practices of some adoption agencies and you have a book that reads more like a favorite novel than a chronological explanation of his difficulties. Mr. Klose clearly details the roller coaster-like experience he had in trying to adopt a young boy from a variety of countries. He uses humor to tell this very serious tale to keep his readers interested in what is often a very frustrating process. Klose's book is a must for parents (single and married) who intend to adopt. The happy ending that follows his day by day experiences in Russia until Aloysha is finally his to take to America make the book an excellent read.

I read with fascination this detailed account of Robert Klose's efforts to adopt a son. So great was his desire to be a parent, that he was able to undergo the long, arduous and expensive emotional roller coaster of foreign adoption virtually by himself. Being a single man greatly decreased his chances of adoption in most countries and proved impossible in others. But he refused to give up. We know at the outset that his perseverance eventually pays off, but this fact in no way diminishes our need to keep reading in order to discover what will happen next. We are taken along for a ride on the author's roller coaster. I found the book difficult to put down. Through it all we get the feeling that Klose's survival tool is his sense of humor. The qualities he displays in the telling of this story - humor, perseverance, and the desire to share the beauty he is able to find in his life in Maine - are the ingredients of good parent, and we the readers, celebrate with him when he finally leaves Russia with his son.

I received this book with low expectations considering previous tactical books I had read on the subject. It stopped me in my tracks.
I was so impressed by Robert's literary style and story-telling ability. He allows us to go through the entire process and share very personal emotions --discovering with him important lessons for anyone involved in international adoption. The frustrations and bureaucracy encountered are almost overwhelming, but well worth it. I loved this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone considering international adoption--single or married. However, I would also recommend it to anyone who would enjoy an inspirational true story about a man and a boy half-way accross the world who seemed destined to be family. I promise it will change your perspective on adoption and what it means to love. All we need now is the sequel. Thanks Robert for living and telling your story.
(One more thought, if I were a TV producer, it would make a great Sunday Night Movie)

After reading 8 books on foreign adoption and speaking to others who have adopted from Russia, I was pleased to find Klose's first hand account. Particularly useful are the day-to-day realities of the adoption process and emotional rollercoaster experienced once Klose arrived in Russia. Klose addressed the living conditions for a home-stay and for the orphanage, the personalities of the Russian adoption counterparts to his agency, the frustrations of the Russian legal system, the blat factor - subjects not addressed in the how-to books. Written with a sense of humor that obviously served to defuse potentially explosive emotional situations. In some places, the text was a bit sugary. Such as falling in love at first sight with a photo of Alyosha. The author sounded desperate, obsessed. Describing Alyosha as calling Klose "papa" the first time he met him makes it sound as though this was fate. What it revealed to me was that Klose has never been in an orphange before or he would know that many children run to adults calling them mama or papa to pull heartstrings and get them to take them home. These kids aren't stupid. The love at first sight description is romantic but unrealistic I think. Otherwise, a good rendition of what it is like for a single man to adopt in Russia, which is difficult indeed.

I greatly enjoyed reading this charming story of a single man's quest to adopt a son. Although the theme of this book centers around the trials and eventual triumphs of adoption, I highly recommend this book to all readers, whether interested in adoption or not. Robert Klose's personal story is rich with emotion, interesting true life characters, humor, and of course, Alyosha - the boy who calls Robert "Papa" from their very first meeting. This is a 'feel good' book that will leave you with the notion that love is boundless. Enjoy

Every one of us who has adopted internationally knows our experiences would make a good book (particularly ours, but let's not go into that here). Robert Klose actually sat down and wrote it.

I would really recommend reading this at the outset of your adoption wait. You may think it's discouraging, but at the end you'll realize he didn't tell you anything you didn't need to know. If you have done this, you'll be nodding in recognition.

Klose is also very upfront in describing the sometimes nebulous and shadowy nature of international adoption as he moves from pondering an Eastern European child to a Latino one and back and forth, through different agencies and facilitators, of varying reliability. He must have gotten very down at some points, though he keeps his sense of humor up (albeit in a very cynical way). The best moment (althogh he didn't think it was that funny, I did ... but then again it didn't happen to me) is when the referral video comes and the FedEx man, seeing only the agency's name and the nature of the package, assumes it's porn.

He shows you how adoption agencies really work (or don't), being short $4,000 even after his Russian adoption to a facilitator who never delivered in Guatemala.

This leads him to Russia in its Wild West days of the early 1990s. Some of the scenes are pretty grim, but unlike other such memoirists he doesn't stoop to condescension, mindful that this is the culture his son will look to for his roots. Having been to Russia on an adoption experience myself I can assure he's not making this up.

In the end, after bureaucratic complication on top of absurd demand for money followed by logistical screwup, Alyosha (Alexey, really, but that's OK) comes home with him. I, too, would love some form of sequel, or some update on how they're doing.

After contemplating single parent adoption (I'm a 39 yo guy) this book has cemented the awesome choice that I'm about to make. The author details the long and hard road he took to be united with his little boy. It details his experiences with the massive bureaucracy BOTH in Russia and the United States along with the subtle and unfair suspicious stigma single males encounter by some adoption agencies and social workers. I recommed this book highly for all single men thinking about adoption.

I've never stayed up until three in the morning to read an entire book... I was bleary-eyed this morning, but Klose's story has kept me motivated all day... I, too, am a single man and have been considering adoption as a way to grow my own family... There is so very little written about single men who want to adopt children specifically, and I'm so glad I found this book, and I did so completely by accident... Klause is an swesome storyteller - his descriptions of his environments (both external and internal) were so vivid I felt like I was righit there with him - in his backyard in Maine, on the airplane going to Russia, and in the little ram-shakle house that Aloysha lived in... It was a very visual story - it unfolded like a movie...This is an emotional roller-coaster ride of a story, plowing thru pracitally every emotion on the human scale... In the scene when little Aloysha first looks to Klose and asks, "Papa?", my heart just about popped... Great as a travelogue, an instruction manual, and an inspirational story on how a single man can create a family... Click on "Add to cart" and BUY THIS BOOK!!!!

I knew the book would be good, but had no idea it would effect me so profoundly--it brought tears to eyes--such passion and compassion in this man and his quest for a son. You'll be the edge of your seat throughout the book. What determination this man has, what insight and strength of character to follow through despite the many obstacles he managed to tackle. I want more!!!!When is the next book coming out? This is must read for anyone who loves children, who is intersted in adoption or anyone who has challenges and needs inspiration!!!

Patience is a virtue and author Robert Klose proves it in his story of a single's man's quest for adopting a son. As a mother of three I found myself laughing, crying and actually relating to his story. His never ending fight to find the love of his life, a son that is hundreds of thousands of miles away is breath taking. I had to make myself put the book down to do my daily activities, all the while thinking of the book and what would take place the next time I could read again. I would reccommend this book to anyone, of any gender or marital status, either wanting to adopt or all ready having children. Mr. Klose reminds all parents to live for today with our children, that every moment counts, and that good things do come to those who struggle, persevere and overcome!