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Finding Fernanda: Two Mothers, One Child, and a Cross-Border Search for Truth Paperback – Illustrated, May 15, 2012

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 58 ratings

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The dramatic story of how an American housewife discovered that the Guatemalan child she was about to adopt had been stolen from her birth mother
 
Over the last decade, nearly 200,000 children have been adopted into the United States, 25,000 of whom came from Guatemala.
Finding Fernanda, a dramatic true story paired with investigative reporting, tells the side-by-side tales of an American woman who adopted a two-year-old girl from Guatemala and the birth mother whose two children were stolen from her. Each woman gradually comes to realize her role in what was one of Guatemala’s most profitable black-market industries: the buying and selling of children for international adoption. Finding Fernanda is an overdue, unprecedented look at adoption corruption—and a poignant, riveting human story about the power of hope, faith, and determination.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Reads like a mystery novel, but the facts it reveals are hauntingly true.... Siegal does a fantastic job of breaking down a complicated story...Finding Fernanda is a gripping read that offers glimpses of hope in what was an otherwise heartbreaking system."—The Christian Science Monitor

"Oh, what a story. It is hard to believe that such things go on in this world of ours, but Erin Siegel has woven a lively, well-researched and cautionary tale that is a must-read..."—Cathryn Jakobson Ramin, Author of New York Times best seller,
Carved In Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife

"Erin Siegal peels back layers of deception to reveal a twisting and engrossing saga of two deeply wronged mothers and the girl they both claimed. Her brave account is chilling, and should be required reading for policymakers and anyone who cares about children."—E. Benjamin Skinner, 2009 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Author,
A Crime So Monstrous: Face-To-Face With Modern-Day Slavery

"Fernanda's story carries us into the darkest regions of the human heart... Erin Siegal has written a saga of seduction and betrayal so sinister that anger pushes you from page to page. Rarely has an investigative reporter unveiled so compelling a narrative of motherhood from Guatemala to Tennessee."—Wayne Barrett, investigative journalist and author of
Trump: The Deals and the Downfall and Rudy!: An Investigative Biography Of Rudy Giuliani

"Really will tug at your heartstrings... A moving story."—Dan Raviv, CBS Radio News

"Heavy-duty investigative reporting and compelling personal testimony..."—
The Miami Herald

"
Finding Fernanda is an incredible piece of investigative journalism. The amount of time, depth of research and commitment to this story is evidenced on every page of this book. The book is a page turner and a jaw dropper as the evidence of corruption runs deep and the story unfolds. Siegal should be commended for her bravery in bringing this story to light in the hopes that adoption processes will be improved to protect both children and families. Siegal took a courageous step to bring this story forward. It is my hope that with this story available for every government official, prospective adoptive parent and anyone involved in adoption to see positive changes can be made to protect children. Finding Fernanda is a must-read."—Adoption Today
 
"‎
Finding Fernanda may be the most illuminating book about abuses in international adoptions yet written. This is not just fearless public service journalism, but also a moving, acute, gracefully-written work of story-telling. Erin Siegal is an extraordinary young journalist."—Francisco Goldman, author of Say Her Name and The Art of Political Murder

About the Author

Erin Siegal is an investigative journalist and photographer. Her writing and photography have been published in the New York Times, Time, Curve, Newsweek, Mother Jones, Rolling Stone, and with Reuters. She has collaborated on projects with NGOs such as the Urban Justice Center, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations, and in 2009, her reporting on adoption corruption resulted in a fellowship with the Schuster Institute for Investigative Reporting at Brandeis University. Finding Fernanda is Siegal’s first book.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beacon Press; Illustrated edition (May 15, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0807001856
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0807001851
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 58 ratings

About the author

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Erin Siegal McIntyre
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For nearly a decade, investigative journalist Erin Siegal McIntyre (esmcintyre.com) has worked in radio, TV, and print. Her work blends narrative non-fiction with deep-dive research and classic investigative reporting. She's a Senior Fellow at the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism. Her books include "Finding Fernanda," which was awarded an Overseas Press Club Award Citation for Best Reporting on Latin America, and "The U.S. Embassy Cables: Adoption Fraud in Guatemala, 1987-2011."

Currently based in Tijuana, Mexico, Siegal McIntyre's writing and photography have appeared in various outlets and magazines, including the New Yorker, the Christian Science Monitor, O Magazine, Playboy, the New York Times, and U.S. News and World Report. Her work has been the subject of a variety of radio and television programs, including on NPR and Univision. In 2015, the episode of 48 Hours Mystery on CBS that featured Siegal McIntyre and "Finding Fernanda" was awarded an Emmy.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
58 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book fantastic, well-researched, and powerful. They describe the writing quality as good and it reads like a mystery novel. Readers find the content insightful, compelling, and educational regarding corruption. They also describe the content as heart wrenching, devastating, and depressing.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

12 customers mention "Readability"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fantastic, well-researched, interesting, and powerful. They also say it's an excellent documentary.

"An extremely well-written and powerful book...." Read more

"An incredible thriller, moving and depressing and definitely worth the read. The author is a great storyteller and thorough journalist." Read more

"Excellent read; very eye-opening. Lots of good info. about adoption corruption AND a touching story, too!" Read more

"This book was amazing. It should be read by many. It made me cry. And see the adoption world in a different way." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book to be well-written. They say the narrative non-fiction writing is pretty good and reads like a mystery novel for a fair portion of it. Readers also mention the book is well-documented and well worth reading.

"...What's interesting about this book is how it reads like a mystery novel for a fair portion of it...." Read more

"...It was well worth the read and I'd recommend it to others who have an interest in international adoption." Read more

"...It's a journey, well-written and documented, you just can't wait to turn the page. A true story with many characters you wish were fictional." Read more

"...No doubt Ms. Siegal chose a compelling topic. Her narrative non-fiction writing is pretty good, but is inconsistent...." Read more

7 customers mention "Insight"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, eye-opening, and educational regarding adoption corruption. They say it's compelling, interesting, and has good information about it. Readers also mention it's a touching story.

"This was a great story with all the interesting facts that kept you reading on...." Read more

"This was a very compelling account of the search of a mother for her children...." Read more

"...I found it to be extrememly eye-opening and educational regarding the corruption in Guatemalan adoptions...." Read more

"...I read this when starting our international adoption. Very insightful. Hard to read about these happenings." Read more

4 customers mention "Heartfelt content"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the content heartfelt, devastating, and depressing. They say it's a fabulous read that makes them cry.

"An incredible thriller, moving and depressing and definitely worth the read. The author is a great storyteller and thorough journalist." Read more

"This book was both heart wrenching and eye opening. It's what adoptive parents have tried to ignore for years...." Read more

"This book was amazing. It should be read by many. It made me cry. And see the adoption world in a different way." Read more

"Well written and well-sourced. A fabulous and devastating read!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2012
Having adopted our youngest from Guatemala in 2003, many people in this book were familiar to us. While we have a connection with our child's birthmother and foster mother, we know of many instances of illicit activity, human trafficking and bribery in the Guatemalan adoption world. Much of what Siegal writes mirrors our experience - DNA testing, social worker reports, PGN, adoption facilitators, US embassy as well as the underbelly of international adoptions. This is a must read for all adoptive parents, potential investigative journalists and adult adoptees. An amazing documentation of two mothers' plights for truth and freedom.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2019
I never thought I would find myself reading a book about international adoption.What's interesting about this book is how it reads like a mystery novel for a fair portion of it. Not exactly a fast-paced thriller however I did catch myself thinking wow this is a book about adoption? It's very clear the author immersed herself amongst the Guatemalan people. The level of detail and research that went into this it's truly amazing.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2013
This was a great story with all the interesting facts that kept you reading on. It was well worth the read and I'd recommend it to others who have an interest in international adoption.
2 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2012
Disclaimer: Not only am I a parent to a child adopted from Bulgaria, I am a member of PEAR and had some brief correspendence with Ms. Siegal.

This book will come as a shock to some in the international adoption (I.A.) community. To others, it will not. Ms. Siegal exposes two ugly undersides of I.A.

The first is how children are obtained for "placement". Replace Guatemala with Vietnam, Cambodia, Eithiopia, China, Russia, Bulgaria, Korea, India, Nepal and I hate to write it, but these countries do not differ in how [many] children were obtained. Multiply Mildred Alvarado by thousands.

We may want to believe our children were "abandoned", but I no longer believe that anymore. Most AParents will argue differently and with good cause [especially those who adopted from Russia] about their childrens' origins. "Finding Fernanda" at least puts a face to the biological source of [many] of our I.A. children.

The second underside, the portion we lived through in our own adoption(s), was the abject horrible treatment by self-appointed "adoption agency directors" (are you listening Sue Hedberg? Snow Wu? Nina Kostina? Denise Hubbard? Margaret Cole-Hughes? Linda Perilstein?). Although I and Betsy Emmanuel are vastly different, she and I share one huge thing: the living hell that dealing with a Narcissistic, control freak agency director can wreak over you life. The hoops jumped through so you can bring your child home.

Having been though the state complaint process like Mrs. Emmanuel did with Florida's state licensing commission, I know the shock and sadness that accompanies the "slap on the wrist" these "adoption professionals" receive.

HOWEVER, there is nothing individual states can do because the adoptions are foreign, outside of state jurisdiction. After thinking you've done the right thing by filing a complaint, it is a tremndous let-down knowing the Narcissistic Control Freak Agency Director got away clean.

I truly respect Mrs. Emmanuel for taking a stand and doind the RIGHT thing in telling her story and by extension, that of Fernanda and Mildred Alvarado.
9 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2013
This was a very compelling account of the search of a mother for her children. The story sometimes gets bogged down with too much information about the legal and illegal aspects of adoptions from Guatemala. I do feel like I learned a lot.
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2016
This was one of those books that you can't put down.
It is a sad story.
My only regret was that I didn't read it on a Kindle because there are SO many people introduced in the course of the book I wish that I had been able to "click" on their names and search the book for the first time they are introduced.
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2011
It's a page turner, I don't believe that this book is meant to be anti-adoption, but rather helpful in pushing for the rights of the children and the birth families. We all want the ability to adopt in an ethical, transparent way. There are 165 Million REAL orphan's who need good homes. This is a cautionary tale that encourages prospective adoptive parents to avoid the pitfalls of unethical agencies (and there are many of them).

It's the tale of two Mom's and their love for Fernanda. It's a journey, well-written and documented, you just can't wait to turn the page. A true story with many characters you wish were fictional.
3 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2013
As the mother of a beautiful Guatamalan born daughter, I have long been interested in this case. I found it to be extrememly eye-opening and educational regarding the corruption in Guatemalan adoptions. I do not believe there was corruption in my case, but if my daughter ever asks hard questions, I believe I am better informed having read this heartbreaking story. I am so thankful that Mildred was reunited with her daughter. I am also thankful that Betsy, the potential adoptive mother, had the courage and perserverance to help make it happen.
One person found this helpful
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