Two Little Girls: A Memoir of Adoption [Hardcover]

Theresa Reid (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2006

In Chicago, Theresa Reid and her husband had lucrative careers and a beautiful home. What was missing from their lives was children. But they knew in Eastern Europe there were children who were missing parents- and they set out to find their family.

There was self-doubt and gut-wrenching fear, mountains of paperwork and nerve-racking interviews, agonizing choices and false starts. There was the painful awareness of thousands of children languishing in poorly- funded orphanages, waiting for someone to embrace them and bring them home. And there were Byzantine bureaucracies and poverty-stricken conditions in the former Soviet Republic-where, beyond the borders they crossed and the obstacles they navigated, two little girls waited. This is Theresa Reid's account of how Natalie and Lana came to be her daughters-a journey that travels not only to Moscow and Kiev but into the deepest parts of a mother's heart. She addresses the issues that arise for many an adoptive parent-including the guilt over taking children away from their roots, the unknowable mysteries of her daughters' earliest childhoods, and the slow, stumbling steps toward trust and tenderness that played out between them. For any parent, adoptive or not, this book offers not only a compelling story but valuable insights into the transformative power of loving a child.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

For parents hoping to adopt, self-reflection is the key phrase. Future parents of an adopted child need to be completely honest about their ability to parent and, although it may sound strange, about the type of child, including sex, age, and health factors. This book explores with an unflinching honesty one couple's soul-searching and sometimes painful journeys as they adopted, first, a Russian girl from Ekaterinburg and then a Ukrainian girl from a town near Odessa. Reid details her and her husband's desires, fears, doubts, anger, and frustrations--and, finally, their joys. Although the first adoption went comparatively smoothly, the second was filled with stumbling blocks, in both the U.S and Ukraine. Still, through luck and perseverance, they triumphed. This book is an excellent primer for those in the early stages of the adoption process, especially foreign adoption, and a wonderful story of a family's growth. Frank Caso
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Explores with an unflinching honesty...A wonderful story of a family's growth. -- Booklist

Frank and touching...a song of praise to parenthood, adopted or otherwise. -- Chicago Tribune --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover (April 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425208826
• ISBN-13: 978-0425208823
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,677,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Stay Up All Night" Read, May 9, 2006

By 

Adoptive Mom (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Two Little Girls: A Memoir of Adoption (Hardcover)

I admit - when I got this book in my hands I couldn't put it down... I had to see how the story ended! As a fellow international adoptive mom, I relived my own experiences by reading Reid's gripping descriptions. It's all here -- the joy, the uncertainty, the need for brutal self-reflection and honesty, the conflicting feelings of anticipation and terror.... it really does capture the roller coaster ride of adoption. I admire Reid's willingness to expose her own shadows and ambivalence. I would encourage any pre-adoptive parent to read this book, just so you know you are not alone in these feelings. And, for those who are not adoptive parents themselves - chances are you know someone who is... and this book offers an insider's view on the unique challenges of this road to parenthood. WHen I brought my daughter home, after a journey fraught with drama, delays, angst, fear, uncertainty... I actually had someone say to me, "Ahh you adopted! You did it the EASY way..." All I would have to do now is simply hand over a copy of "Two Little Girls". Easy, it's not. Worth it, completely.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An honest portrait of the ups and downs of international adoption, April 16, 2006

By 

K. Corn "reviewer" (midwest, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Two Little Girls: A Memoir of Adoption (Hardcover)

As the parent of an internatiionally adopted child who we adopted when he was older, this book really struck home with me. Like the author, I had also experienced the overwhelming desire to have a child and after giving birth to one child, I had emergency surgery that meant that adoption would be the only option for having more children.

I found Theresa Reid's memoir to be refreshingly honest, not sugarcoating the realities of some international adoptions. I wish I'd read it before we adopted. We had a successful adoption but I would have been more aware of what we were about to face, the bureaucracies, the last minute changes in "required" paperwork, the concerns about adoption shutdowns in the particular country we were considering, etc. Reading this book might have lessened my anxieties and stress level.

Each of Reid's adoptive experiences was different, one being very easy and the other (with a different agency) being a nightmare of delays and tough choices. For those looking to find a book about international adoption that is very open about the difficulties of bringing a second child into a family which already has one child, Reid's experiences may provide insight about that.

For first time adoptive parents, I think the book could prepare them for what lies ahead while providing reassurance that both positive and negative feelings are a normal part of the adoptive process, including major fears and concerns about the whole adventure.

Reid's great strength as a writer is her willingness to be open about her guilt, ambivalence, fears and doubts...and to prove that successful adoptions can occur when those feelings are faced straight on.By the end of this book she has crossed through a series of crisises and come through with a deep love for her children and a stronger advocate for adoption.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Story too Staggering not to Share, May 6, 2006

By 

Marie Horning (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Two Little Girls: A Memoir of Adoption (Hardcover)

It is a privilege that Theresa Reid is willing to be so honest and candid with her readers. She tells her family's story from beginning to end with no emotions barred. It is so accurate and detailed that it's almost as if she began writing away furiously and continuously the moment she returned home from Ukraine. This was much too remarkable a journey to not share with others.

I was sympathetic for Reid and her husband from the beginning, and as her tale progressed I found myself unable to put her book down. Her story delighted me, but it also made me cry and demand answers for their hardships. This book made me realize just how many obstacles couples who are adopting or considering adoption may encounter. It also exemplifies the joyous and electrifying moments they experience when bringing back a child into their loving home. I have recommended this book since the moment I began reading it. It is such a beautiful story that deserves to be shared with everyone.