A Ghost at Heart's Edge: Stories and Poems of Adoption [Paperback]

Susan Ito (Editor), Tina Cervin (Editor), Jacquelyn Mitchard (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: IO Series | Publication Date: October 14, 1999

Sixty short stories and poems reveal the sometimes heartbreaking, often affirming tales of adoption. Written from the point of view of birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees, this unique anthology spans nations and cultures. Includes works by Isabel Allende, Charles Baxter, Edward Hirsch, Alison Lurie, Joni Mitchell, Alberto Rios, Mary TallMountain, and others.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A generous and prismatic anthology of short stories and poems. . . As promised, the phantoms of mystery mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, and grandchildren do shimmer between the lines of many short stories and poems, the ghosts of could-have-been, the spirits of what-if. . . A vital and unforgettable reading experience for everyone, whether he or she is part of the adoption plexus of not.”
-Donna Seaman, Hungry Mind Review

“A beautifully compiled and evocative collection of writings about the adoption experience which expertly weaves the voices of all members of the adoption community into a tapestry of shared expressions of pain, loss, and joy.”
-Lynn C. Franklin, author of May the Circle be Unbroken: An Intimate Journey into the Heart of Adoption

About the Author

Susan Ito teaches writing at the University of California Berkeley’s Extension program. Her short stories, poems, and essays have appeared in numerous publications and anthologies.

Tina Cervin is a psychotherapist and poet whose works have been published in Alchemy and Kaleidoscope Kyoto.

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books; 4 edition (October 14, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556433239
• ISBN-13: 978-1556433238
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #836,270 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thankfully lacking in sap!, November 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Ghost at Heart's Edge: Stories and Poems of Adoption (Paperback)

The main thing that distinguishes this anthology from many other books about adoption is its literary, unsentimental approach. Unlike the usual humourless depictions, this book goes for depth instead of decibel level, mind over melodrama. It also includes some oft-ignored perspectives such as that of a birthfather, birth-grandparents, adoptive grandparents and adoptees whose reunion stories are not the spangly stuff of the 6 o'clock news. As a contributor to the anthology, I am proud to find my work in such good company. As a reader, I appreciate its literary treatment. As an adoptee, I'm moved by the unflinching accounts.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Literate Adoption Reader, April 12, 2001

By 

readernyc "readernyc" (New York City, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Ghost at Heart's Edge: Stories and Poems of Adoption (Paperback)

As as adoptive mom & as a writer, I find it hard to locate books that satisfy my yearning for both literary fulfillment AND insight into the "triad" that is Adotpion. "Ghost at Heart's Edge" is that rare book; It's elevating intellectually, an imaginative opening (lots of them) while giving deep thought to what adoption, at its "heart" entails.

This is not a "reunion" book, good though those are, nor is it a psychological tome, good though theory can be for understanding. Rather, this compendium is literature of a high order and insight with unusual depth. I've carried my copy, literally, from East coast to West, from Canada to Hawaii, hoping to meet one of the editors and get it signed. Along the way, I dip in and out of these poems and stories, and am never anything but fully immersed. Highly recommended, and not just for those who are in Adoptive world, but for us with a hole in our hearts or, better said by the editors, with a Ghost at the Heart's Edge, which includes virtually all of us. Yes? Yes!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of reality, wonderfully executed, December 28, 1999

By 

Heather Lowe "hslowe" (Corning NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Ghost at Heart's Edge: Stories and Poems of Adoption (Paperback)

This type of book has been needed for a long time. A very real collection that looks at the joys of adoption without shrinking from the loss and pain. Should be required reading for prospective adoptive parents and potential birthparents.