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Carried in Our Hearts: the Gift of Adoption

Inspiring Stories of Families Created Across Continents

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

"My mommy didn't carry me in her tummy, she carried me in her heart."
Bailey, a 5-years old who was adopted from China. Her story is included in this book.

According to People magazine, parents from all over the country seek adoption expert and Worldwide Orphans Foundation founder Dr. Jane Aronson’s help “as if consulting a master detective.” Angelina Jolie praised Dr. Aronson’s “drive and ambition to help children dream” (Elle). Indeed, over the course of the past three decades, Dr. Aronson has touched the lives of thousands of adopted children from around the world and in this inspiring book she presents moving first-person testimonies from parents (and a few children themselves) whose lives have been blessed by adoption.
Divided into thematic sections—such as  "The Decision," "The Journey," and "The Moment We Met")—each prefaced by Dr. Aronson, this book introduces readers to Claude Knobler, a writer from Los Angeles whose journey to Ethiopia to adopt his son led to an unexpectedly moving encounter with the boy’s courageous birthmother; actor Mary Louise-Parker whose older adopted son’s bond with her newly adopted baby daughter was deep and unwavering from the instant the two children met; and Lynn Danzker, an entrepreneur who set off alone to adopt her son, Cole, and in the process, met and married her husband. The authors of these testimonies range from doctors to filmmakers, from financial consultants to celebrities—all of them bound by their moving and transformative experience as adoptive parents.




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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 14, 2013
      A New York pediatrician specializing in adoptive medicine, and the founder of Worldwide Orphans Foundation, Aronson is a crusader for international adoption, gathering here myriad stories of her efforts over the years to bring surprisingly untraditional families together across the world, including her own tale of adopting as a single parent in 2000. Aronson groups the stories around themes: from the decision to adopt, including factors such as the advanced age of the mother or the determination to help orphans in need; the journeys abroad to places in China, Russia, Ethiopia, and Vietnam, many of which are gloomy and rundown; the first emotionally overwhelming meetings with the orphans before any developmental issues with the children were revealed; and the rocky adjustments to life back in the U.S. In presenting these candid stories, fashioned by the various parents and even an older sibling and an adoptee herself, Aronson does not sugarcoat the details, describing the arduous bureaucracy involved and the fact that some orphans have suffered such abuse that they cannot make the transition to American homes, as well as Aronson’s fervent belief that international adoption should be “the last resort for an orphan” when all other attempts at keeping the original family together have failed. Overall, there is a wealth of information—and hope—here for people looking at possibilities for international adoption, and there is certainly no better advocate on the long journey than the upbeat, passionate Aronson. Agent, David Kuhn, Kuhn Projects.

    • Kirkus

      February 1, 2013
      True stories of creating loving families despite long odds. Pediatrician and Worldwide Orphans Foundation founder Aronson gathers first-person, heartwarming accounts of adoption by couples and single mothers and fathers, with biological children or without. The decision to adopt can stem from a variety of motivations: inability to conceive, a mission to help those less fortunate, a desire for a larger family. Regardless of the reasons behind the action, each of these succinct narratives puts the adoptive child at the forefront, with the adoptive parent(s) expressing their love and devotion to their new child. Each mini-essay is a picture of what Aronson calls the " 'leap of faith' required when creating a family." One mother writes about being "so thankful" she ignored her fears and "took that leap"; she and her new daughter "are the perfect team." In addition to families in the United States, the author profiles children from countries around the world, including Ethiopia, Russia, China and Guatemala. Some parents elaborate on the endless mountains of paperwork involved in the adoption process and the months, sometime years, of waiting. Others focus on the health issues, known and unknown, of their new child and the heartache and angst of caring for a child with AIDS or one with severe behavioral issues. All the parents agree that despite the setbacks, adopting one or more children is the best process that could have happened to these children and their new parents. With more than 150 million orphans in the world today, these stories provide encouragement to those contemplating the adoption process. Short, sweet, eye-opening thoughts on adoption and mixed-race parenthood.

      COPYRIGHT(2013) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Library Journal

      August 1, 2013

      In this uplifting collection of essays, experienced adoption medicine leader Aronson (founder, Worldwide Orphans Foundation) gives hope to those choosing parenthood through adoption, confirming that the often bewildering amount of red tape, the glacial pace of applications, changing international laws, and the resulting roller-coaster ride of emotions is worth it. Parents speak of love at first sight and a sense of destiny, as well as feeling "claimed" and being chosen. Portraying everyone from older couples suffering infertility to young singletons, the parenting stories are as diverse as the adoptees--Chinese, Vietnamese, American, Russian, Pakistani, Tibetan, etc. VERDICT The audience for this book is clearly adoptive parents. Aronson doesn't include stories from grown adoptees or birth parents, but for libraries needing a supportive addition to the literature for that readership, this title would work nicely.

      Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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