Customer Reviews

In Their Siblings' Voices: White Non-Adopted Siblings Talk About Their Experiences Being Raised with Black and Biracial Brothers and Sisters

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I must admit that I was more than a bit skeptical when I first learned that a transracial adoptee (Rhonda Roorda) had co-authored a book (In Their Own Voices) with one of the most well-known and influential transracial adoption researchers out there (Professor Rita Simon). I was skeptical because anyone who has read Dr. Simon's work knows that she is avowedly in favor of the controversial social practice. Before I'd read their first book, then, I wondered if Ms. Roorda herself was pro-transracial adoption, and whether she downplayed race as many transracial adoption researchers tend to do. I was curious, too, to see whether Roorda, as an adult adoptee, would be too lenient in addressing white adoptive parents.

Then when I read the first book, and later, after I had the privilege of meeting Rhonda when we both were invited to address a gathering of adoptive parents, I became convinced that hers was a valid perspective on a complex social phenomenon. It was clear to me that Roorda's perspective could benefit adoptive parents, and therefore needed to be heard (and read) widely. In her writing, as well as in her presentations, Rhonda holds adoptive parents accountable for paying attention to race and racism, insisting that trying to parent following a utopian "color-blind" fantasy puts transracial adoptees in peril, in childhood and into adulthood.

Now, with the publication of the third book (In Their Siblings' Voices) in their trilogy, I am very pleased to witness the continuing development of the authors' perspectives. The third book is clearly Rhonda's; that is, her own adult adoptee voice shines through brilliantly and confidently, as one that passionately yet optimistically attempts to shift the conversation about transracial adoption.

As a reader, delving into the narratives of the white siblings of black adoptees makes for an enlightening experience. As someone who also interviewed white adults who grew up with brothers and sisters adopted from other races and cultures, I can say that the narratives collected here similarly detail the many sides of the transracial adoption experiment. Thankfully, here we are not merely subjected to yet another parental perspective, but rather we get to enjoy reading more balanced insights from individuals whose parents made the decision for them to be thrust into the experiment. As a wonderful contribution to the growing literature on transracial adoption, therefore, I highly recommend this book.
~Dr. John Raible,
transracial adoptee and adoptive parent

As the second in a trilogy, this book is a must read. Not only because it so perfectly follows questions left by the first book, but because, in itself, it is a deeply revealing work filled with unique perspectives that give such important insight into the lives of trans-racial adoptees as seen through their siblings' experiences and how they relate their stories. I came away from this book with a transformed perspective and a more thorough understanding of the challenges and gifts revealed in and through the lives of these individuals, and how that translates to and informs so many of our lives and circumstances.
This is such an important work. Thanks to Rhonda and Rita for your dedication and diligence in getting this, and the others in the trilogy, out to the world. Fantastic work!

Rhonda has so much experience interviewing others, but one time I interviewed her. It was so nice to talk to her. I was going through some difficult times that had to do with being a transracial adoptee myself and she, more than anyone else, helped me through it with her kind and understanding words. I was so impressed with her earlier books in the trilogy and was so excited to hear that she would be the first author to delve as deeply into the lives of non-adopted siblings as she did with her other books in the lives of those connected to adoption. I congratulate her for being the first and for having the vision.

Rhonda Roorda and Rita Simon have done it again! "In Their Siblings' Voices" is an important contribution to the literature on trans-racial adoption. This time, the authors focus on the experiences of white siblings in families that adopted African-American or biracial children.

By interviewing siblings, the authors provide a somewhat different perspective on the issue than can be expected from parents and children. And by using the interview form, the reader is able to pick up on multiple perspectives. It was interesting to go back and read the stories of the children and parents in the first two books after reading the siblings' comments, and it was also interesting to see how even siblings in the same family often picked up on issues that the other sibling(s) did not mention.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am one of the siblings interviewed in the book. And I know well one of the other families that was the subject of the series. Yet, I still learned a great deal from reading the book, and picked up perspectives from reading the interviews of others that I would never have understood otherwise.

I will say that while there is much to be learned from all of the experiences, I wonder if some societal changes that have occurred since the childhoods of the adoptees and their siblings--especially the large number of international adoptions--might color the experiences of similar families today. Maybe that's a book for some years down the road.

It was with much anticipation that I waited to receive this book and read it, because I'm interviewed in it. I was delighted with the published results. Rita and Rhonda's interactions with and summaries of each interview get straight to the heart of the whole matter of being raised with a transracial adoptee. We just don't see skin color. Unconditional love breaks down all those manmade barriers. Each interview bears that out. With unabashed candor, these interviews tell the true story of what it's like to be raised in an international home. Bravo Rita and Rhonda! Mary Ann Pals