A Girl Named Maria: The Story of an Adoption [Paperback]

Valerie S. Kreutzer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 23, 2008

She was found abandoned in the lavatory of a cafeteria in Bogota, Colombia. The police who picked her up named her Maria Consuelo. From a stack of would-be parents, Colombia's welfare agency chose Valerie Kreutzer's application, and the toddler quickly bonded with her new mom in Washington, DC. At school Maria struggled with severe learning disabilities despite a superior I.Q., but also blossomed into an award-winning young artist. Her impulsive behavior led to fits and false starts during adolescence, until she found happiness at twenty-one with David and his extended family. Their love and lives ended in the curve of a rural road in Florida.A Girl Named Maria chronicles an adopted daughter's struggle with identity and her yearning for a birth family that may have included a twin brother.Maria's legacy lives on in this poignant personal story of one mother's unconditional love for her adopted daughter."I loved this book! This story, although carrying the deep sorrow of a daughter's death, will give parents of transnational adoptions a guideline for their own experience. This book is a much needed addition to the adoption literature." Nancy Verrier, The Primal Wound; Coming Home to Self www.nancyverrier.com

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

For 23 years, Valerie S. Kreutzer worked as broadcaster, writer, and editor for Voice of America and the U.S. Information Agency in Washington, D.C. Previously, she was an editor with Houghton Mifflin Co. As a freelancer, she has published essays, travel and opinion pieces in journals and newspapers including The Washington Post.

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (December 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595497055
• ISBN-13: 978-0595497058
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,411,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A story of international adoption, August 2, 2009

By 

Sophia Kouidou-Giles "Child Welfare Administr... (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Girl Named Maria: The Story of an Adoption (Paperback)

It is an astonishingly honest telling of a true life story. A single woman in search of motherhood and a child abandoned in Columbia come together for a nearly 22 year journey. It ends with Maria's death as a result of an automobile accident.

The joys and tensions of the shared living, the adjustments, dilemas, and struggles of raising this bright, coflicted youngster are clearly described. Her mother's constant search for information about her daughter's past, search for resources to help her overcome her troubles, her hopes and dissapointment engage the reader.

This is a story of parental dedication, love, joy, hurt and ambivalence. This is also the story of a youth searching for roots, her place in the world, meaning and love. A must read for families contemplating adoption and for those who have lived the adoption experience.

5.0 out of 5 stars Maria, March 10, 2011

By 

Frances J. Corn (Puyallup, Washington United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Girl Named Maria: The Story of an Adoption (Paperback)

Book arrived quickly from the seller, and in good condition. This true story was mind boggling for me as I adopted a son from Bogota, Columbia, while living on the East coast. He is also learning disabled and in many ways resembles Maria. I would recommend this very well written and suspensful story to others who have experienced a troubled adoption.

5.0 out of 5 stars I knew Maria as a classmate, February 20, 2010

By 

Liberal Steve (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Girl Named Maria: The Story of an Adoption (Paperback)

I am actually reviewing this book before being able to read it. I just ordered it online. I was at chelsea school when Maria was there and road that same school bus with her. I had not heard about her death until a year ago. I have been out of the loop since I do not live in the washington area anymore. I have met her mother a few times as well by chance but just remember how wonderful it was too have her as a classmate. I remembered that she would draw pictures everyday and also helped paint a mural on the wall of the school. She was also talented at making people smile and was very energetic and positive. I am sure there will be a lot of information in this book but it will never make up for knowing Maria in person. I feel lucky to have known Maria the person, friend and classmate. She was a remarkable person and I share my deepest condolencses with her mother.