Lost and Found: A Memoir of Mothers [Paperback]

Kate St. Vincent Vogl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2009

I swore I would never let my birthmother into my life, but then Mom died of ovarian cancer and my birthmother, Val, found me through the obituary. Hard to argue with fate. Harder still to let go of childhood promises. This memoir explores what it is to be a mom and what it is to lose one. And so Lost and Found: A Memoir of Mothers is for anyone who has ever loved and lost (or maybe even found) a mother.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Vogl eloquently writes about her mother's death and the relationship that evolved with her birth mother. --Pioneer Press

Vogl writes with grace and intelligence. --Akron Beacon Journal, also naming Lost & Found among the best books of 2009

A heart-breaking tale ... I will be watching for Kate St. Vincent Vogl s future work. --The Washington Times

About the Author

Kate St. Vincent Vogl teaches a variety of courses at the nationally acclaimed Loft Literary Center. Her fiction and nonfiction have been honored in international competitions, and she was recently named a New Letters finalist. She has spoken at national and international adoption conventions. Her memoir was featured on national ABC news. She was graduated from Cornell University cum laude and from the University of Michigan Law School.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc. (April 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878393315
• ISBN-13: 978-0878393312
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 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: #1,116,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kate St. Vincent Vogl's birthmother found her through her adoptive mom's obituary. Lost & Found: A Memoir of Mothers was featured on national ABC News, and the Akron Beacon Journal named it among the best books of the year. The anthology Why We Ride includes a foreword by Jane Smiley and Vogl's essay about growing up with 26 Clydesdales. A New Letters finalist, Vogl has presented her story at national and international conferences and on TV and radio across the country. Her short stories have also been honored in international competitions. She was graduated from Cornell University cum laude and from the University of Michigan Law School. Kate St. Vincent Vogl now teaches at The Loft Literary Center and the Hudson Valley Writers' Center. See www.katevogl.com for her blog for aspiring writers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read -- whether or not you are adopted, April 28, 2009

By 

Tax Diva (pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lost and Found: A Memoir of Mothers (Paperback)

Kate St Vincent Vogl has a beautiful "voice" and her prose transports you to the kitchen, the playground and to on her emotional journey of redefining family. This book tells the story of a woman, grieving for the death of her own mother amidst the joy of her new daughter, when the phone rings one night and her birthmother re-enters her life. On what terms, with what monikers and what challenges lie ahead, all are beautifully told in ways that will cause you to rethink your own family ties, whether adoped or not.

I loved this book and I was really not expecting to have that reaction. I am not adopted but found it to be tremendously moving and a book I will share with my own mother and with friends. If you are an adoptive parent, or adopted child, this will resonate on a completely different level. I think the author did a great job of laying out the challenges of integrating The Mother and The Father into an existing family structure where those roles had already been defined by years of parenting. The story is packed with emotions but not maudlin or sappy. The story will stay with you for years.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the birth mother, June 22, 2009

By 

Val (Hudson, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lost and Found: A Memoir of Mothers (Paperback)

Being a part of the book did not at all make the read less compelling. Tearful yet exhilarating, I learned more about myself through Kate's words. Articulating my feelings and our relationship with precision and grace. Kate makes this book a one of a kind

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lost & Found, May 11, 2009

By 

L. Conder (Sharon Center, Oh) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lost and Found: A Memoir of Mothers (Paperback)

As the parent of an adopted child this story really touched my heart. It goes deep into the dynamics that define a family and motherhood. I was amazed at the complexity of the author's life once she met her birthmother. We all seem to have our own definition of what makes our family a family Ms. Vogl allows us to realize how delicate that web of family is and how it can change so quickly. I wish this book had been available when I was beginning my adoption process. It is a must read for all members of the adoption triad but is not strictly an "adoption book" it is for everyone.