In “Grief A Comedy,” Alison recounts how, after decades spent with Mr. Wrongs and/or Mr. Right Nows, she happened upon THE love of her life — an Indian expat named Bhima. She shares how she found Bhima and sadly how she lost him — too soon, waaaay too soon — and she explains how she managed to carry on after her fiance’s tragic and unexpected passing, and how he returned to her in spirit to help her write their love story and urge her to find love again.

Show deep understanding and compassion with this birthday card designed for adult adoptees navigating the complex emotions that birthdays can bring. This meaningful greeting card acknowledges the unique experience of being adopted, while celebrating the incredible person they’ve become. Inside Message: Adoptee birthdays can bring up complex feelings: grief, wonder, loss, and so many questions all tangled together. But remember, you can love the family who raised you AND wonder about the family who didn’t. You can embrace your life AND grieve what was lost. You can celebrate your birthday AND acknowledge the difficult feelings it brings. Honoring all your heart holds, I’m thinking of you today with deep love and understanding and celebrating the incredible person you are. Wishing you the best of all things on this day and every day in between.

A remarkable window into the volatile, constantly changing China of the last half century and the long-reaching legacy of the country’s most infamous law, Daughters of the Bamboo Grove is also the moving story of two sisters torn apart by the forces of history and brought together again by their families’ determination and one reporter’s dogged work.

A stunning memoir of one man’s search for his birth parents, which uncovered an astonishing global scandal at the heart of the Catholic Church. Brendan Watkins was eight years old when his parents told him he was adopted. When he was in his late twenties, he started searching for his birth parents and eventually discovered the identity of his birth mother: he was told she was a Catholic nun. And she wanted nothing to do with him. For the next thirty years Brendan had no clues as to the identity of his birth father. In 2018, a DNA test provided the answer: he was the son of a priest. His father had studied in a Trappist monastery in Ireland, returned to Australia and become a celebrated outback missionary. After decades of searching and obstruction from the Catholic church, the whole truth was finally exposed. Brendan Watkins’ birth parents were a Catholic priest and a nun. Tell No One reveals the moving story of that incredible discovery, and explores the questions, anxieties and reflections arising from his hidden past.

When he was ten years old, the author was told he’d been adopted. It was a seismic event that turned his world upside down. Nobody was who he thought they were. His mother wasn’t his mother; his father wasn’t his father; his sister wasn’t his sister; his grandparents weren’t his grandparents; he wasn’t related to any of his relatives; he didn’t know where he came from or who he was. This was at a time when adoption was shrouded in secrecy and shame. Birth mothers and adoptive parents signed non-disclosure agreements. Adoption records were sealed. In Lucky Bastard Anthony Akerman takes the reader on his quest to find out where he came from. Anthony Akerman’s memoir is a significant achievement. It is moving, funny, light to the touch, insightful, wry, self-reflective and witty. It is also poignant. Richly illustrated with photographs, and vividly written, it is a profoundly informative reflection, not just on adoption, his own adoption, and the perilous paths all those who adopt and are adopted are obliged to trudge, but on the tender anguishes and idiocies of being human. Justice Edwin Cameron. Follow this riveting odyssey of an adopted man in this compelling memoir. He defied the odds, crafting plays and words and conquering the world with resilience and passion. Herman Lategan, author of Hoerkind / Son of a Whore.

The Violence of Love challenges the narrative that adoption is a solely loving act that benefits birth parents, adopted individuals, and adoptive parents—a narrative that is especially pervasive with transracial and transnational adoptions. Using interdisciplinary methods of archival, legal, and discursive analysis, Kit W. Myers comparatively examines the adoption of Asian, Black, and Native American children by White families in the United States. He shows how race has been constructed relationally to mark certain homes, families, and nations as spaces of love, freedom, and better futures—in contrast to others that are not—and argues that violence is attached to adoption in complex ways. Propelled by different types of love, such adoptions attempt to transgress biological, racial, cultural, and national borders established by traditional family ideals. Yet they are also linked to structural, symbolic, and traumatic forms of violence. The Violence of Love confronts this discomforting reality and rethinks theories of family to offer more capacious understandings of love, kinship, and care.

Adoption involves complex trauma that, if unhealed and unheard, will pulse through subsequent generations. Pulled by the Root is a raw, vivid, and cinematic account of Heidi Marble’s lived experience as an adopted person. The story is led by Heidi as she pieces together her identity and comes home to her true self. Each chapter is followed by psychiatrist Alysa Zalma’s commentary, which extracts the essence of what is happening psychologically and spiritually. Pulled by the Root is an awakening not only to the experience of being adopted but also to the experience of being human.

Each person has their own unique story, and as Lynne Leppard’s early life included foster care and adoption, she often found herself wondering about her origins and heritage. Her loyalty to her adoptive family was real, but so too was her longing to find out more about her first family and the story of her biological parents. In these pages, woven together with faith and family, Lynne vulnerably shares the untangling of the threads of adoption as she searches for answers to questions of identity, security and belonging.

Adoption has always been a woman’s issue. With eloquence and conviction, more than 30 diverse birth mothers, adoptive mothers and adoptees tell their adoption stories and explore what is a deeply emotional, sometimes controversial, and always compelling experience that affects millions of families and individuals.

Lisa Pearl is an American teaching English in Japan and the situation there―thanks mostly to her spontaneous, hard-partying ways―has become problematic. Now she’s in Seoul, South Korea, with her childhood best-friend Mindy. The young women share a special bond: they are both Korean-born adoptees into white American families. Mindy is in Seoul to track down her birth mom, and wants Lisa to do the same. Trouble is, Lisa isn’t convinced she needs to know about her past, much less meet her biological mother.

“I doubt that another human being will tread this same unconventional path.” This is an intimate and emotive account of an adult adoptee’s journey as he spent nearly three decades searching for his biological parents. Capturing his thoughts, emotions and physical encounters along the way, this rollercoaster ride demonstrates the determination and resilience of an adopted person to achieve his personal quest. There’s no doubt that this account will provide support, comfort, and inspiration to those thinking of searching for their biological parents, and those who have already started out on this journey, as well as those interested in wider adoption matters. Discover the relentless challenges and amazing encounters faced in pursuit of the truth when no stone is left unturned.

The day that I believed adoption trauma was a thing was the start of my journey to a whole new me. Growing up I had been under the impression that I was just bad, naughty, and at one point in my childhood the adjective “”evil”” was applied. Of course I completely bought into the adjectives used to describe me. Even when the odd teacher spoke to me about my good attributes: caring, kind, and compassionate. Still I veered towards the negative. Adoption trauma is very real. Had it been recognized as a “”thing”” when I was a child, and if someone had picked up on it, things may have been different for me. I can’t change anything, but I can walk towards inner healing. So can you. Do you want to take a step towards confidence, acceptance, and well-being? This audiobook is my inward look at adoption trauma with some helpful tips that I have used over the past six years to help me overcome the feelings of unworthiness, anger, fear, and rejection that plagued me for 50 years.

An expose of unethical and coercive adoption industry practices during a short period in American history known as the Baby Scoop Era (Post WWII – 1972). By sharing the actual printed words of social caseworkers, maternity home personnel, lawyers, judges, medical and mental health practitioners, the methods used to ensure that “unwed” mothers would surrender their babies to mostly infertile strangers will be revealed. These crimes against nature resulted in more than 1.5 million vulnerable new mothers being permanently separated from newborns that they might have parented had they been informed of their civil, legal, human and Constitutional rights.

Full of wonderful stories that give insight into a wide variety of adoption issues, now revised in light of recent developments, The Family of Adoption is a powerful argument for the right kind of openness in adoption. Joyce Maguire Pavao uses her thirty years of experience as a family and adoption therapist to explain to adoptive parents, birthparents, adult adopted people, and extended family, as well as to those who work with children professionally the developmental stages and challenges one can expect in the life of the adopted person. The Family of Adoption is truly the most insightful and healing book on the adoption shelf.

Belonging Matters supports the adoption community while creating a conversation with those not directly touched by adoption. The collection explores the pursuit of identity and the boundaries of family and kinship. It challenges the reader to embrace all of who we come to be, and to discern with whom and where we belong. Because belonging defines the human experience, and it is what nourishes our spirit, fuels us with purpose, and compels us to soar beyond the limitations of our lived experience.

This is the true story of Barbara’s adoption by a family who lived in a town on the banks of the River Mersey. They were a loving family but Barbara always felt different. Her mother, Florrie, never wanted her to know the truth. At age 12, after Barbara accidentally discovered that she was adopted, Florrie lied to her about her birth mother, Carole, and the facts surrounding her birth. As a teenager, unable to deal with the shock of what she’d learned, she rebelled against her parents, finding solace in the exciting 1960s’ Liverpool music scene. Against her parents’ wishes, she got a job in Liverpool as a secretary. She went to lunch time sessions at the Cavern where she saw The Beatles, and often stayed out late in Liverpool drinking. Decades later, Barbara discovered tear stained letters from her birth mother, containing heart-breaking words that would send her on a challenging 26-year quest to find Carole and discover the secret of the blue plastic cow.

Ready to dive deep into your adoption journey? My journal, Unraveling Your Adoption Journey, was created with adoptees in mind—those of us navigating identity, trust, and belonging. It’s more than just a journal; it’s a space to process your emotions, dig into your story, and explore who you really are, all while feeling seen and understood. With each prompt, you’ll have the chance to reflect, get creative, and truly explore the layers of your own narrative. Whether you’re wrestling with issues of identity, trust, abandonment, or just trying to make sense of the complex emotions around adoption, this journal helps you make space for those feelings and encourages you to dive deeper into what makes you, you. Inside, you’ll find a blend of thoughtful exercises and prompts that not only encourage self-reflection but also help you express yourself in ways that feel right for you. It’s a way to unravel your story piece by piece and make peace with it, reconnecting with your true self along the way. Whether you’re just starting to explore your adoption journey or looking for a new perspective, this journal offers guidance, comfort, and a reminder that you’re not alone in your experience. Unraveling Your Adoption Journey empowers you to reclaim your narrative, embrace your story, and find a sense of belonging that feels authentic to you. Open it up, and let this be the start of your healing, your self-discovery, and your journey toward acceptance and understanding.

As an adoptee, do you have mixed feelings about your adoption? Sherrie Eldridge is an adoptee and adoption expert, and in this book she draws on her personal experiences and feelings relating to adoption as well as interviews with over 70 adoptees. Sherrie reveals how you can discover your own unique life purpose and worth, and sets out 20 life-transforming choices which you have the power to make. The choices will help you discover answers about issues such as: Why do I feel guilty when I think about my birth parents? Why can’t I talk about the painful aspects of adoption? Where can I gain an unshakable sense of self-esteem? Sherrie also addresses the problem of depression among adoptees and common dilemmas such as if, when and how to contact a birth mother or father. This fully updated second edition includes new material on finding support online, contacting family through social media, and features three new chapters, including Sherrie’s story of reuniting with her birth brother, Jon, in adulthood.

Linda Hoye was in her early twenties when she found herself parentless for the second time. Adopted at five months of age, her heritage, medical history, and access to information about who she was or where she came from was sealed. It was as if she had never existed before being adopted.When she was barely in her twenties her adoptive parents died and a pattern of loss was put into motion that would continue for years as, one by one, those she called family were torn from her life.Two Hearts charts a course through a complex series of relationships stemming from the author’s adoptive family, her maternal and paternal birth families, and an abusive marriage as the author seeks the one thing she so desperately wants: family.She knows she must come to terms with the bitterness she harbors toward her birth mother when she becomes a grandmother and, soon after, faces the loss of the last remaining members of her adoptive family. She makes one final attempt to find something that will give her the sense of rightness that eluded her for so long.This is the story of a woman’s journey through unfathomable grief, of what it takes to go into the abyss of deep-seated wounding, to feel the pain, and to come out the other side. Whole, healed, and thankful.

The voice on the other end of the line was soft, yet forthright: “Sarah, my name is Hannah Morgan. I think I’m your birth mother.” The phone call, wholly unexpected, instantly turned Sarah Saffian’s world upside-down, threatening her sense of family, identity, self. Adopted as an infant twenty-three years before, living happily in New York, Sarah had been “”found”” by her biological parents despite her reluctance to embrace them. In this searing, lyrical memoir, Sarah chronicles her painful journey from confusion and anger to acceptance and, finally, reunion–but not until three soul-searching years had passed. In spare, luminous prose, Sarah Saffian crafts a powerful story of self-discovery and belonging–a deeply personal memoir told with grace, eloquence, and compassion. At once heartbreaking and profoundly uplifting, Ithaka is sure to touch anyone who has grappled with who they are.

In 1961 Paige was put up for adoption, a more taboo and secretive topic than it is today. Paige’s adoptive family chose not to focus on the adoption, but instead function as a regular family with natural children. However, being adopted made her feel vulnerable and unreal. She longed to know more about her true self. In Akin to the Truth: A Memoir of Adoption and Identity, Paige tells stories from the perspective of a child and adolescent, growing up with a closely guarded secret. Through vignettes, Paige relates feelings about her adoption to forming and maintaining relationships, caring for pets, moving to new houses and neighborhoods, losing loved ones and entering young adulthood. Her need for acceptance is juxtaposed with her adoptive father’s increasingly erratic behavior. This is a tale of family joys and hardships, friendships, falling in love and the need to belong. It is set in the era of free love, social unrest and unexpected change during the 1960s, 70s and 80s

Adopting Privilege is Dr. Hasberry’s attempt at not only reckoning with her past, but offering unfiltered guidance to other transracial adoptees, and the larger adoption community, navigating what it means to exist in a familial limbo while also discovering what it means to simply exist. Abigail Hasberry is no stranger to adoption. As both a Black adoptee to a white family, and a birth mother, her intimate understanding of this experience has shaped her career as both a therapist and transracial adoption scholar. However, the intricacies of transracial adoption narratives leave much to be discovered, and with stories often shared from the perspective of the adoptive family, the most affected group—the adoptees—are often left to fend for themselves in their own self discoveries.

Closed adoption, heralded as the answer to the problem of unplanned pregnancy, shows its other side in A Life Let Go, A Memoir and Five Birth Mother Stories of Closed Adoption. These women tell how they experienced unplanned pregnancy in the restrictiveness of the last decades of the twentieth century. All gave up a child in closed adoption–the only option–understanding they would never see them again, a dark contract made under great duress.

Through Adopted Eyes explores the world of adoption from the viewpoint of adoptees. Russian adoptee Elena S. Hall shares her own story and thoughts on the subject of adoption in addition to interviews from other adoptees of different ages, heritages, and perspectives. Whether you are an adoptive parent, curious about adoption, or an adoptee yourself, this unique collection of memoirs provides real insight into lives directly impacted by adoption.

Adoptee and counselor Cameron Lee Small names the realities of the adoptee’s journey, narrating his own and other adoptees’ stories in all their complexity. He unpacks the history of how adoption has worked and names how the church influenced adoption practices with unintended negative impacts on adoptees’ faith. Small’s own tumultuous search for and reunion with his mother in Korea inspired him to help other adoptees navigate what it means to carry multiple stories. His adoptee-centered advocacy helps adoptees regain their agency and identity on a journey of integration and healing, with meaningful relationships in all their family systems.

A Father’s Day Card for Birth Fathers / Found Fathers This poignant “Stars Aligned” Father’s Day card for first father / birth father / found father, captures the profound moment of connecting with a biological father for the first time. Featuring a stunning celestial design with stars and moon imagery that symbolizes your enduring connection across time and distance, this card expresses what traditional greeting cards miss. The heartfelt message acknowledges the genetic bond that existed even during years apart: “ALL THIS TIME, We have shared the same sky, the same clouds, the same moon, the same genes. Now that our stars have aligned, I’m so thankful for the chance to know you — the man whose DNA has shaped me all along.”

Inside: “Learning about you was unexpected, but life’s most meaningful connections often are. While this plot twist may take some adjustment, I’m grateful for this chance to know you and look forward to future chapters.” Just found a whole branch of your family tree you never knew existed? Perfect for those “So… apparently we’re related?!” moments when you’re still processing but definitely want to keep the connection going. Adoption Reunions and DNA surprises happen—so here is a way to celebrate them with a card that gets it!

Inside message: “Turns out, so many things I thought were just ‘me’ were actually ‘just us’ all along. Thank you for helping me understand where I come from and who I am.” Found your genetic doppelgänger? This playful “Nature vs. Nurture” card is perfect for celebrating those mind-blowing genetic mirroring moments! With its fun checklist of shared quirks—from the same quirky laugh to those weirdly identical toes—this card captures a few of the “no way” moments of meeting DNA relatives. The perfect way to say thanks for the warm welcome.

This Constellation Cards original is designed for adult adoptees in reunion with birth mothers. The inside text, “Though we missed many years together, time could never erase what matters — your courage lives in my determination, your heart in my compassion, your strength in my own,” offers profound validation and recognition of an enduring connection—something many birth mothers deeply desire, but rarely receive in traditional greeting cards.

This poignant card acknowledges the profound loss experienced by adoptees while affirming that despite being separated without consent, they would choose their birth mother if they could have. Perfect for adoptees seeking to honor that innate, unbreakable bond on Mother’s Day.

In an age where many reunions begin with a DNA test, social media search, or online registry, this Father’s Day card designed for those who found their fathers online, celebrates the digital pathways that have made so many reunions possible. It acknowledges the modern reality of adoption searching while playfully highlighting the profound importance of the person found through those digital means – a light approach to a deeply meaningful connection.

A touching memoir of self-discovery, Finding Loretta is Diane’s tale of searching for history, roots, and family. Adopted as an infant, Diane Wheaton has always heard conflicting versions of the truth of her origins—but it’s not until she is forty-seven years old that she begins to search for her biological family. Amid search and reunion, however, Diane’s adoptive parents become ill—and while overseeing their care, she is told about a secret they have kept from her for more than fifteen years. This shocking disclosure requires Diane to face an important decision, which results in a level of healing she never could have anticipated.

An ambitious book by Jean Kelly Widner, an adult adoptee, who explores the current and historical culture of American adoptions. Widner examines the unaddressed pain and systemic flaws in the system, and calls for a more transparent and compassionate approach to adoption.

Many adoptees describe feeling like a puzzle with missing pieces until connecting with birth family. This card honors how a birth mother completes an important part of an adoptee’s identity puzzle. The “love you forever” sentiment acknowledges the enduring connection that exists regardless of physical separation – the love that transcends time and circumstance, making it deeply meaningful for birth mothers who will appreciate the reassurace that your love isn’t going anywhere.

Ideal to send any mother struggling with estrangement, separation, or severance. This thoughtful card acknowledges the complex emotions that birth mothers often experience on Mother’s Day. The front message, “I know this Mother’s Day is going to be hard, and I wanted you to know you are in my thoughts,” creates a safe space for grief, recognition, and support. By directly acknowledging the difficulty of the day, the card validates feelings that many birth mothers experience but rarely see acknowledged in mainstream Mother’s Day messaging. The intentionally blank interior allows for personalized sentiments that honor the unique relationship between the sender and the birth mother.

This empathetic card perfectly captures the emotional complexity of adoption reunion. For adoptees and birth parents navigating this profound journey, strength comes in many forms – sometimes in reaching out, sometimes in setting boundaries, and sometimes simply in processing decades of emotion. The message “But I know this is not easy” acknowledges that reunion, while often desired, brings its own challenges and emotional labor. By offering “an open invitation to talk, rant, cry or laugh any time,” this card creates a safe space for the full spectrum of reunion emotions, from joy to grief to confusion.

The perfect celebration card for those unexpected siblings life reveals through adoption reunion or DNA discovery! When your family tree suddenly sprouted a new branch and you found yourself with a half-brother you never knew existed, this “Brother from Another Mother” birthday card captures that unique blend of novelty and instant connection. Whether you discovered each other through adoption reunion, a surprise DNA test result, or reconnecting with a birth parent who revealed additional siblings, this card celebrates the special bond that forms when biological siblings find each other later in life. It’s ideal for those first birthdays celebrated together after discovery, acknowledging both the missed years and the joy of moving forward with newfound family connections.

I love this card for two reasons. One, it reminds me of how we adoptees often say adoption reunions aren’t all rainbows and unicorns. And two, it’s a tongue in cheek reminder of how early in our lives and early in reunion we often idolize our first parents. This is a cute card that allows us to laugh at ourselves a bit and give our first mom the wild props they deserve. For many adoptees who did not get the moms adoption promised our first mothers this card is especially poignant.

This dark humor card speaks to the raw truth many adoptees know all too well, that secret desire to break free from difficult adoptive parent relationships and find our first mother. It’s the perfect card for those who’ve found healing through reunion or who simply appreciate adoption humor that doesn’t sugar-coat complicated emotions. Yes it’s a dig at difficult adoptive mothers, however this card acknowledges the sometimes painful realities that many adoptees live with silently for years. When only gallows humor can capture your adoption truth, this card does it with perfect punch. Ideally suited for the first mother who understands adoption trauma and shares your appreciation for dark humor as well.

The intricate cut paper design of this card symbolizes the complex and delicate nature of reunion. This understated card is perfect for celebrating a birth mother whose presence in your life, however long, has brought wonder and beauty. The wish for wonderful moments acknowledges that every interaction in reunion can be precious and worthy of celebration.

The personalization option of this card allows you to honor the unique relationship with your first mother, and adding a personal photo can be especially meaningful in adoption relationships, celebrating the visual connection between family members who may share physical traits or simply commemorating time spent together after years apart.

The three-dimensional nature of this pop-up flower card is a beautiful and symbolic way to let your first mother know she is on your mind on Mother’s Day. Just as flowers bloom with nurturing, so too do relationships in adoption reunion. This elegant card works wonderfully for birth mothers, especially in early reunion when too many words might feel too much – the visual beauty is an understated way to show she is in your thoughts.

Share that no matter how far apart you may be, or how many ups and downs in reunion you may have shared, your first mother is always in your heart and in your thoughts. A small card can go a long way to lifting a first mother’s heart especially on a day a difficult as Mother’s Day.

The journey of adoption and reunion often feels like coming full circle – from separation to reunion, from wondering to knowing. This card beautifully captures that sentiment, making it perfect for adoption reunions or anniversary celebrations. Many adoptees and birth parents describe their reunion as completing a circle that began years ago, making this card deeply meaningful for marking those special milestones in your adoption journey.

I love this durable metal wallet card. I wish I’d found this before my birth father passed, it certainly would have made a great father’s day or reunion anniversary present. Adoptees talk a lot about feeling like we have a missing piece. For that reason, this could be just the gift for that special someone. This wallet card carries a message of connection that speaks to the fundamental experience of many in reunion. It’s a tangible reminder of connection that can be carried close, just as our biological connections remain part of us no matter the distance.

The metaphor of a puzzle with a missing piece speaks profoundly to the adoptee experience. Many of us walk through life feeling incomplete, sensing an absence we can’t quite name until reunion. This powerful card directly addresses that core feeling of incompleteness that adoption can create, while celebrating how finding birth family can bring a sense of wholeness. It’s perfect for significant reunion anniversaries or birthdays, acknowledging both the pain of separation and the joy of reconnection.

Perfect for the profound moments of adoption reunion, this heartfelt card captures the emotional journey between adoptees and birth parents with its interior message: “Every moment, every step, every twist and turn in life led me to you.” Whether you’re an adoptee expressing gratitude to your birth parent for the reunion that completed a piece of your story, or a birth parent conveying the joy of reconnecting with your adult child after years apart, this card honors both the complex path and the worthwhile destination. Ideal for reunion anniversaries, first birthdays celebrated together, or simply to express the ongoing joy of having found each other. Also makes a great Mother’s Day or Father’s Day card.

Using the term “Special” this card may be just the thing for those who are not comfortable sending a card that straight up says “Mom.” Many adoptees navigate complex emotions around what to call their birth parents. This card offers an affectionate acknowledgment without pressuring either party into identity labels that might feel uncomfortable, especially in newer relationships.

This Family Tree of Life Personalized Birthstone Necklace would make a great gift for just about anyone affected by family separtion. The tree symbolizes the branching connections of family, while the birthstones represent the unique individuals who make up that family. It’s a beautiful way to honor biological connections while acknowledging the growth and flourishing that happens when those connections are recognized.

In an age where many reunions begin with a DNA test, social media search, or online registry, this humorous card celebrates the digital pathways that have made so many reunions possible. It acknowledges the modern reality of adoption searching while playfully highlighting the profound importance of the person found through those digital means – a light approach to a deeply meaningful connection.

Gifts for adoptees, birth parents, siblings and other family members lost through adoption/foster separation are hard to choose. Too much? Too mushy? Not enough? I think this one is just right. We adoptees are often told we are lucky. It was not until I found my birth family that I began to feel lucky. These lucky pennies, engraved AND minted in the year of your choosing (reunion or birth etc), are a sweet reminder of how lucky you are to have found each other again.

Although adoption loss is tough stuff, sometimes a symbolic gift is just the way to say “so glad I found you,” without being too heavy. Additionally, since adoptees are often told we are lucky to be adopted, this gift turns that misconception on it’s head. Luck is what lead us home. These lucky pennies, engraved AND minted in the year of your choosing (reunion or birth etc), are a sweet reminder of how lucky you are to have found each other again and serves as a daily reminder of the serendipity that brought you together. The personalized year marker makes it uniquely meaningful to your reunion story.

Sometimes words are hard to find, so symbols of love and family can go a long way to send the message. I like this Heart Tree Wooden Card just for this reason. Its natural material and lasting quality make it a keepsake that symbolizes the organic, growing nature of family connections. When words fail, this tangible representation of family bonds speaks volumes.

Parting ways after time spent together can feel like a tiny abandonment all over again. A card like this is a nice reminder that we will be seeing our loved one again. It acknowledges the pain of separation, while affirming the continuity of the relationship.

Those relinquished are by definition resilient, though we often don’t feel that way. This card is a sweet way to remind a special person in your life that no matter what, they got this! Acknowledging the strength required to navigate life after relinquishment validates lived experience while celebrating their capacity to thrive despite the challenges inherent in adoption and/or foster placement.”

Early in reunion we relish seeing ourselves relected in our DNA connection, the good, the bad, and even the fugly. Those moments of recognition – shared traits, mannerisms, or quirks – can be both startling and delightful. This humorous card celebrates those discoveries with a touch of levity that can ease some of the intensity of reunion relationships.” (Blank Inside)

Reuniting with a lost family member can be wonderful but coping with the physical distance between you can be hard. This card offers a short and sweet reminder that your connection knows no bounds. Perfect for long-distance birth family relationships, it acknowledges the emotional closeness that can exist despite geographical separation.

As an adoption memoirist I love this card. It is great for anyone on a journey toward healing. So many in our community find that reclaiming our narrative through writing or telling our stories becomes an essential part of processing our experiences. This card celebrates that empowerment and forward momentum, send it to someone you know as a form of support and encouragement.

In a world that often tries to paint adoption as purely beautiful or demands gratitude from adoptees, this card validates the complicated, messy emotions that can accompany the adoption experience. Sometimes just calling it as it is, is just what is needed. This card is great for sending along encouragement while acknowledging that adoption and other forms of abandonment, lies and secrecy suck.

Sometimes in adoption relationships, especially newer ones, simple expressions of gratitude can feel more authentic and comfortable when understated. This simple card is great for any occasion, from thinking of you to a birthday or reunion anniversary. It says a lot in just a few words, acknowledging the significance someone holds in your life without overwhelming sentiment.

Author Sherry Bridgette Healey, a victim of forced adoption, exposes how government policies legally erased birth identities. Her raw memoir draws powerful parallels to historical human rights violations.

Julie’s search for her birth relatives spans years and involves a search agency, a PI, a confidential intermediary, a judge, an adoption agency, a social worker, and a genealogist. By journey’s end, what began as a simple desire for a family medical history has evolved into a complicated quest―one that unearths secrets, lies, and family members that are literally right next door.

Author Sherry Bridgette Healey, a victim of forced adoption, exposes how government policies legally erased birth identities. Her raw memoir draws powerful parallels to historical human rights violations.

Beth Syverson and Joseph Syverson, an adoptive mother and adoptee, collaborate to address adoption’s hidden mental health crisis. Drawing from groundbreaking research, they combine personal stories with practical resources to support families and professionals. 

Tracy transforms her pandemic-era search for her Korean birth mother into a genre-defying detective story, earning widespread critical acclaim pre-publication.

Marianne analyzes 45 adoption memoirs, identifying patterns in how adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents process trauma, race, and reunion experiences. 

BJanet challenges adoption’s “happy ending” narrative through her exploration of the primal wound theory and her personal journey of discovery through DNA testing. 

Brandi shares her Appalachian story of adoption intersecting with poverty, addiction, and trauma, offering practical healing strategies while highlighting rural America’s unique challenges. 

Patti’s DNA test launches an investigation into sealed records and family secrets, revealing how adoption secrecy shaped her understanding of identity.

Shannon, a transracial adoptee, blends adoption memoir with speculative fiction in this Printz Honor Book, exploring parallel lives while incorporating official documents and family records. 

M. Rosales recounts her journey as a Korean adoptee, taken from her homeland at age five. Her search for birth family after 29 years illuminates the complex emotions and cultural identity challenges faced by international adoptees. 

Lori weaves together fifteen adoption stories, sparked by a chance encounter that led to an epiphany about the need to share these narratives. Drawing from her own experience as an adoptee who kept her adoption secret for years, she explores the universal theme of belonging that runs through the adoption community.

Lori weaves together fifteen adoption stories, sparked by a chance encounter that led to an epiphany about the need to share these narratives. Drawing from her own experience as an adoptee who kept her adoption secret for years, she explores the universal theme of belonging that runs through the adoption community.

EM delivers a graphic memoir about five siblings separated by foster care and closed adoption. Through illustrated storytelling, she traces her journey as an Ojibwe/Anishinaabe and European adoptee searching for belonging, culture, and her first family. Her unique visual narrative explores how five siblings, placed in foster care and adopted into three different families, found their way back to each other.

In To Be Real, Anne Heffron provides a many-voiced picture of adoption. With the help of fellow adoptees Hannah Andrews, Dawn Conwell Mulkay, Leah E. Cooper, Brad Ewell, Shelley Gaske, Sharon Stein McNamara, Andrew Glynn, Tonni Johnston, Kathleen Shea Kirstein, Elisa Nickerson, Kristen Steinhilber, Kimberly Van Den Hoek, and other special guests, To Be Real lifts up the voices of the community as they share personal stories of self-discovery.

Based on a decade-long study, Sisson examines the complex interplay between adoption, privilege, and the ideals of American motherhood, shedding light on the broader cultural and systemic factors that shape the adoption landscape.

A poignant and beautifully crafted narrative that explores the author’s experiences as a trans-racial adoptee. Growing up with adoptive Nisei parents, Ito knew only that her birth mother was Japanese American and her father was white. Finding and meeting her birth mother in her early 20s was only the beginning of her search for answers, history, and identity. Ito does a masterful job of demonstrating the difficulty of managing expectations around reunion and the longing to be accepted by her newfound first mother.

This book reveals the candid thoughts and feelings of those most directly involved in adoption. The authors interview dozens of adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, social workers, therapists, and other allies, all sharing candidly about the challenges in adoption. 

Betty Jean Lifton, whose Lost and Found has become a bible to adoptees and to those who would understand the adoption experience, explores further the inner world of the adopted person. She breaks new ground as she traces the adopted child’s lifelong struggle to form an authentic sense of self. And she shows how both the symbolic and the literal search for roots becomes a crucial part of the journey toward wholeness.

A conversation with Charlyn Speiring about my adoption story and (at 20 min in) the healing power of writing to heal adoption wounds.

A road map for the journey of writing honestly about grief and loss. Useful to the memoirist just starting out, as well as those already in the throes of coming to terms with complicated emotions and the challenges of shaping a compelling, coherent true story.

Adult Adoptees and Writing to Heal shares the framework and method of using writing as a practice for adult adoptees, therapists, teachers, and researchers interested in learning how to migrate and heal embodied trauma. It analyzes lived experience and the author’s own writing to develop a methodology for moving toward wholeness by writing and speaking the truth of internal adoptee experiences.

A practical and inspiring guide to transformational personal storytelling, The Story You Need to Tell is the product of Sandra Marinella’s pioneering work with veterans and cancer patients, her years of teaching writing, and her research into its profound healing properties. Riveting true stories illustrate Marinella’s methods for understanding, telling, and editing personal stories in ways that foster resilience and renewal.

A searing memoir of reckoning and healing by acclaimed journalist Stephanie Foo, investigating the little-understood science behind complex PTSD and how it has shaped her life.

In the days before Roe v. Wade, an ambitious young journalist, abandoned by her beau, leaves Michigan for a dream job on the city desk of a Rochester, New York newspaper. Burned once, she’s eager for love, but as the only Girl in the newsroom, she’s more concerned with finding allies and making friends. When a new leading man appears, she recognizes a kindred spirit. Soon her bylined stories claim front-page space. However, when she becomes pregnant, she must switch her attention from deadlines to decisions. With adoption on the horizon, she pushes her man to make a commitment. Sadly, he wants her, but not their daughter. Will Dusky ever find the little girl she longed to raise, and if she does, what will be the fallout from their years apart?

Discover an empowering new way of understanding your multifaceted mind – and healing the many parts that make you who you are.

The Primal Wound is a seminal work which revolutionizes the way we think about adoption. It describes and clarifies the effects of separating babies from their birth mothers as a primal loss which affects the relationships of the adopted person throughout life.

She was a black market baby who was given to a Texas couple through the workings of an attorney. In part two she talks about reuniting with her birth father.