Customer Reviews

Birthright: The Guide to Search and Reunion for Adoptees, Birthparents, and Adoptive...

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Anticipating my own reunion as an adoptee, I devoured this book in about 2 days. It confirmed many of my personal feelings and gave voice to my own experience as an adoptee. It has also taught me to understand and be sensitive to issues my birthparents are/might be dealing with that I could not have anticipated. Two things about this book for which I am most grateful to the author: 1) the conglomeration of experiences of 70 different people representing all three sides of the adoption triad. This helped me to understand what issues are common to the adoption/adoption reunion process and to feel better prepared to (hopefully) handle my own reunion with "informed" grace. 2) a very clear, easy to understand outline of the five emotional stages of the adoption reunion process. I didn't realize it would be a process or how involved this could be emotionally for all concerned, but how much sense it makes! I have learned from this book that all parties concerned should allow themselves and each other the time they need to heal and adjust to each other. That the process will hurt but bring healing to all involved. That there will be a blessing through the pain. I am grateful for the way this book has equipped me to begin to handle this process. I am buying copies for all involved in my reunion. Thank you, Ms. Strauss, for you labor of love!

I am a birthmother in the 18th month of my reunion with my birthson, and have read probably 15 - 20 books on the subject of adoption, just to try to get a better understanding of where the adoptee, the adoptive parents and the birthparents are all coming from. They all have a something to add to this very unique experience, but many left a lot to be desired. I found this book to be well grounded, well written and thought it had tremendous insight into the very emotional stages of reunion, and think it would benefit all connected to adoption. I wish I had found this book a year ago! Betsy

I read this book before starting a search for my birthmother. I found the chapters on search techniques well written and invaluable during my research. I used this book as my primary reference. I have now found my birthmother and am dealing with the emotional rollercoaster of the reunion process. I have read the chapters on reunions over and over to try and understand what my birthmother is feeling during this process. I would highly recommend this book. It is obviously written by someone who has lived the experience.

Our daughter used this book as a resource when she did her own Search. I read it and was amazed at what a 'complete' book it is. It focuses on every aspect of an adoptee's search. There are chapters for the birthparents, the adoptee, the adoptive parents, etc. There are many, many 'testimonials' included, positive, neutral and negative, from adoptees, adoptive parents, birthparents, regarding searches.
I highly recommend this book to any adoptee who is considering doing their own Search, to any adoptive parent whose child is searching, to any adoptive parent whose child has already done their search, and to any birthparent in that situation.
There truly is something for everyone.
(I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because nothing's perfect.)

I had already found my birthparents when my birthmother brought this compelling book to my attention. There's a chapter dealing with the issue of "what to call" the new members of your family and it really hits home! This is also one of the only books that talks about birthfathers. I am desperate for literature on that subject and it reads nicely.

I bought this book after reading "The Girls Who Went Away" by Ann Fessler and I'm glad I did. It really brings the subject of adoption full circle by telling the stories from all sides of the coin. But it also gives A Lot of starting points and next steps for people to use while doing their own search. My brother and I are both adoptees. I found my birth mother over 16 years ago but she had died in a car accident 6 months after I was born. Took me 15 more years to find my birth father. Both finding my birth mother and birth father were purely the grace of God because I had absolutely nothing to go on. My brother recently asked me to help him locate his birth parents and I'm so glad I purchased this book. Not only for the large quantity of resources it lists, but so I can also prepare him for the many different outcomes he may experience. I can also add, that by reading this book, it has been an emotional rollercoaster. Being able to relate to so many feelings, stories, dreams has really been healing in a lot of ways. Knowing there are so many people out there with similar emotions due to being adopted has been comforting in some strange way. I'd have to say one of my favorite parts of the book is when it talks about how society continues to view the adopted child as just that, a child. Society never took into account that we, as adopted children, would grow up to become contributing adults who have every right to know about ourselves, where we came from and everything pertaining to our lives. I guess if I had to pick one word to explain how this book made me feel it would be EMPOWERED.

A fabulous book that gives anyone a number of dicrections to search. I feel inspired to go ahead now because I've been give a starting point!

Being adopted, my interest in finding books relating to my own thoughts and journey was quite a challenge. Interestingly, I found this book after finding my birthmother and two siblings. The book was a confirmation of every step and emotion I felt. I can't reccomend this book enough. It is written in a non-threatning and caring tone. Every adoptee or a parent that has relinguished a child should read it if for no other reason than to educate oneself.

To help someone not only understand why they are searching, but help in getting started in the search. This was a God send for me! I am now sharing my copy with my neighbor who is an adoptive mom. It's just wonderful. Everyone should read it.

After spending 2 years in college, ill with something doctors were unable to diagnose, I knew it would be up to me to find my medical history. This book was the MOST HELPFUL BOOK in terms of helping me get started...where to look for information, agencies to contact, etc.

If you're an adoptee and looking for your biological parents, I HIGHLY recommend this book! It is an invaluable reference you definitely need.