The Story of David [Hardcover]

Dion Howells (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 1997

The Story of David is the story of Dion and Carey Howells, a couple desperate for a child.  It is also the story of Nancy, a teenager who became pregnant from a date rape and knew she couldn't keep her baby, but also knew that she wanted to maintain some contact with him throughout his life.  And ultimately, it is the story of David, an adopted child who will never have to ask the question "Where did I come from?"  Who will never wonder who his "real" mother is, and how he came to be the son of Carey and Dion Howells.  

When Dion and Carey met Nancy, a bond formed among the three, a bond that ultimately helped all of them get through the difficult times ahead: when, after David's birth, Nancy almost changed her mind about the adoption; when she went into a devastating postpartum depression; and when she went to see David for the first time after his birth.  All along, despite advice to the contrary, Dion, Carey, Nancy, and David worked together to form a new kind of family--one where love is unlimited and David will always know who he is, where he came from, and where he belongs.

This extraordinarily moving account combines the two most emotional crises for any would-be parent--the search for a child to love and a young woman's need to relinquish her own child to better his life.  It is at once a family's inspiring personal story, an unforgettable human drama, and a compelling argument for open adoption.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In the mid-1980s, after failing to conceive their own child, Dion and Carey Howells decided to try adoption. The process was a long, often disheartening, emotional rollercoaster, but finally they were asked by the Catholic Services Bureau whether they would be willing to take part in a new procedure known as open adoption. It meant that they would know the mother of the child they were adopting, and there would be a possibility of continuing contact in the future. They decided to take the chance and adopted a newborn boy from a teenager who had been date raped. Told from Dion Howells' viewpoint, this work recounts not only his family's experiences in adopting but also their remarkably healing, long-term relationship with the child's mother. Written in a warm and easily accessible style, this fascinating story frankly addresses many of the issues surrounding the open-adoption debate. A valuable resource for those considering the adoption path. Eric Robbins

From Kirkus Reviews

In this candid account, adoptive father Howells, aided by journalist Pritchard, makes a passionate but ultimately unconvincing plea for open adoption, a controversial alternative that seems to pose more problems than it solves. When Howells and his wife conclude that invasive infertility treatments are playing havoc with their psyches and their marriage, they easily make the leap into pursuing adoption as an alternative to childlessness. First, they fill out endless applications ``agreeing to assume the responsibility of any child . . . regardless of his or her racial, ethnic, physical, emotional or mental state.'' Then the Howellses become participants in a program that requires them to attend meetings of Adoption Network, a local organization that actively lobbies to change current laws that shield the identity of the adopted child's natural parents, and that helps individuals locate their biological family members. Soon they are chosen by Nancy, a pregnant high school victim of a date rape, to become the parents of her child. Within a few weeks, the Howellses become surrogate parents to Nancy, who later becomes ``Nancymom'' to her/their son. They become so emotionally involved with the girl, in fact, that when their infant son, David, comes home with them, they not only must adjust to their new role as parents, but must struggle with Nancy through her severe postpartum blues. In addition, they are forced to contend with the ambivalence of Nancy's mother, uncertain about her daughter's choice to relinquish the newborn. By David's fourth birthday, a married Nancy has a second baby, whom David sees as his brother. The Howellses will not be providing David with a sibling, because they are too emotionally spent to pursue another adoption. The Howellses' complex experience is hardly the alternative to traditional adoption that will appeal to prospective adoptive parents. Despite the author's obvious sincerity, he is more likely to dissuade people from pursuing open adoption. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Press (May 12, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385318863
• ISBN-13: 978-0385318860
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,121,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An easy-to-read story of one family's open adoption, November 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Story of David (Hardcover)

Told from the perspective of an adoptive father, this is a very realistic view of one family's open adoption. This dad holds nothing back as he describes the ups and downs of building his family. While not all open adoptions involve such an *intense* relationships, his story provides one example of success *for them* (at least up until the time the book was written.) Each open adoption is different, as my husband and I have learned with each of our daughters' open situations. Even though the author's experience is different from our own (we don't have the intensity of contact with birthparents they have), we can still learn from it. The author's story also provides a voice for the unspoken emotions of many adoptive parents. While their openness has consumed their lives, it is refreshing to read about someone else who is willing to offer an adopted child full knowledge of his/her birth heritage. It is quick reading, a book that is difficult to put down once you start.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Convincing argument for open adoption, March 2, 1999

By 

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

This review is from: The Story of David (Hardcover)

This book is by adoptive parents who treat their new family in a humane way--without the secrets and lies of closed adoption. I wouldn't recommend it as the first book prospective adoptive parents read on the topic, because the extreme openness of the Howells' adoption might make them think they had to achieve such closeness right away, but I do recommend it be read. I cannot fathom the comments of the reviewer above. Is she even a triad member?

In short, a good book on an important topic.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Life-Changing Book, July 23, 2001

By 

"meboch" (Fairfax, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story of David (Hardcover)

I completly disagree with the review that Kirkus Reviews has posted. This book changed my life after I read it. Like Nancy, I became pregnant in high school with the only reasonable alternative to be adoption. After speaking with a number of agencies, I decided that I wouldn't be able to place my child in the traditional, closed adoption. I loved the idea of open adoption because I could continue to see my son and keep in contact with him while continuing on with my own life. When he comes of age and understands what the situation is, I will be able to tell him why I made my decision and why I placed him. He won't question my love for him since I have played such an active role in his life. I understand that some people, birth parents as well as adoptive parents, may not agree or feel they could be a part of this type of relationship, but we think it works just fine for us.