The Baby Boat: A Memoir of Adoption [Hardcover]

Patty Dann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1998

A literary chronicle of one woman's journey to adopt her infant son, this book from the author of the acclaimed fiction debut "Mermaids" combines an eloquent style with humor in an emotional, absorbing memoir that reads like a novel.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Patty Dann's The Baby Boat is a poignant, evocative account of one couple's journey to adoptive parenthood. Dann's husband, Willem, is a Dutch citizen given to enchantingly incorrect speech patterns (he calls pinecones "pineapples," and, in a gesture that speaks to the depth and respect in their relationship, Dann never corrects him). "On our first date, my husband asked in his charming Dutch accent, 'Do you want to get children?'" Dann writes, explaining that Willem means "have" children. Yet Willem is inadvertently correct: after battling unsuccessful infertility treatments, the couple begins trying to adopt. Written in journal format, The Baby Boat chronicles the medical treatments, long episodes of waiting and delay, heartbreak when their promised daughter dies unseen, and the trip she and Willem make to Lithuania to claim their seven-month-old son. Dann's spare, understated writing style well suits this journey from emptiness to anticipation to sorrow to joy, as she and Willem finally "get" a baby. --Ericka Lutz

From Booklist

The sad, increasingly familiar story of infertility and longing takes a new turn in Dann's poignant, forthright account of international adoption. Dann records in painful detail the many bureaucratic hurdles and emotional challenges she and her husband faced when adopting an older infant born in Lithuania. The distressing circumstances of international adoption--the uncertainty, the endless waiting, the distance--all became unbearable to the couple when their prospective daughter suddenly died. Their gripping story continues with the hope that they will be united with a seven-month-old boy and their subsequent fear when he, too, takes ill. His recovery, their safe trip home, and their joy at finally becoming parents bring to a happy end a fascinating and moving tale of hope and love. Kathryn Carpenter

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 262 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Books; 1st edition (May 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786863803
• ISBN-13: 978-0786863808
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,007,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The first word I remember learning as a child was "eavesdrop," and I've been drawn to stories ever since. I've published two novels and two "real" stories, although they come from the same place, a brew of memory and imagination. Having my first book, MERMAIDS, become a movie with Cher, Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci, was a remarkable experience. In college I noticed that my best work was drawn from difficult subject matter. "Don't worry," my professor assured me. "You all will have a lifetime of challenges to write about," and he was right.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a funny and poignant happy-ending story of adoption, April 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Baby Boat: A Memoir of Adoption (Hardcover)

No wonder Patty Dann's memoir of adoption reads like a novel--she's a novelist! She wrote that movie MERMAIDS that Cher and Winona Ryder and Cristina Ricci were in. You can't put The Baby Boat down; you root for the characters; and you're choked up in some passages, smiling through others. The Baby Boat is a pleasure to read, and it also shows that courage and patience can pay off. Their new baby is a lucky little person, and I've given this book to other couples who are beginning the odyssey of adoption.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An insightful and positive view for a change!, December 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Baby Boat: A Memoir of Adoption (Hardcover)

This book provides an entertaining and informative look inside the world of international adoption. Written in journal format, it gives the reader insight which could only be obtained through a personal memoir. There are moments of great hilarity as well as great sadness. But the story has a happy ending, and gives a positive view overall of the adoption process. With so much negative press about adoption in general, this was a breath of fresh air!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Baby Boat, February 28, 2000

By 

Laura - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Baby Boat: A Memoir of Adoption (Paperback)

I read this book and fell in love with it. Couldn't put it down! It is a wonderful book for parents who are in the process of international adoption and for their families who want to know and feel what they are going thru.