Singer, composer, performer and musician, Mary Gauthier shares not only her personal story as an adoptee from the American south in the 1960s, but also the creative processes she has used to concoct innovative meals as a chef and also write and preform her ballads.  Much of the content of Gauthier’s memoir focuses mostly on her life as a performer and song/ music composer because in her earlier years she admits she knew certain generic facts about her birth story but “…for the first four decades of my life…” she did not give being adopted that much thought. Native to the New Orleans area ..read more

Review of Twice a Daughter by Julie Ryan McGue Author and adoptee advocate, Julie McGue’s memoir of her search and reunion for her biological family, Twice a Daughter, hooks the reader right away and immerses the reader into her loving, busy family life while she pursues her quest to find her birth relatives and obtain family medical history. Two of the biggest messages from this story are: 1- Adopted people, especially from closed adoptions are systematically denied their right to accurate health information which is worrisome and unfair, and this practice has to change. 2- Balancing the care ..read more

Review of:  I Must Have Wandered: An Adopted Air Force Daughter Recalls I Must Have Wandered is a lyrical and descriptive glimpse into the coming of age experiences of an adopted U.S. military daughter in the 1950s and 60s and her emergence into young adulthood as she explores issues with attachment, trust, identity and direction. This is a well-written must read for Baby-Boomer generation and Baby-Scoop Era adoptees. However, Gambutti’s style of story telling is something anyone adopted and questioning their existence and circumstances can relate to, regardless of age bracket/era.  ..read more

Martha Shideler is a Baby-Scoop-Era adoptee who was born in California, which is a closed records state. Her biological mother went to the Florence Crittenden Home for Unwed Mothers. Her memoir about searching for her biological family is engaging and a fast read. Shideler packs a lot into a short book and will resonate with the reader about wanting to feel a part of humanity by having heraldry and true facts. Shideler’s story is a perfect example of someone coming from a mostly “good” adoption, but still needing to feel whole and real.  Throughout the tale, Shideler must struggle against ..read more

My Unspeakable Loss, 2020, by Alicia Kay Lanier This is a birth / biological/ 1st parent memoir from the Baby Scoop Era. Alicia Kay is from Texas, a state deep in conservative beliefs which still sadly clings to the antiquated notion of sealed and falsified birth records being an accepted norm. She was unfortunately caught in a clash between her conservative, Christian fundamentalist upbringing while becoming a young adult during the greater societal changes of the 1960s and 70s.  Ms. Lanier shares in great detail about her whole life, and how she and her husband progressed in their caree ..read more

The Truth Project, by Dante Medema, (2020) The Truth Project is a fictional account about a high school senior girl who is assigned to complete a “senior project” prior to graduation. She chooses to take a routine DNA test and write about her experiences as she awaits her answers and then processes her outcome. Her results are unexpected. Being an individual from an NPE /MPE, ( Non or Misattributed Paternal Event) has unique challenges.  Being adopted may or may not be a factor, but adoption would certainly add to the complexity. In The Truth Project, our heroine, Cordelia, has often had ..read more

I worked 1:1 with a student in a high school biology class a few years ago. She attended school off and on due to extenuating drama outside the realm of high school  She was the hottest mess you would ever meet, but good people deep down. (But you had to look really, really deep to know that.) Finally,  I was able to successfully communicate with her on what is a Punnett square and how to work it on that afternoon. I never understood P-squares either until recently. It finally clicked after several decades. Growing up adopted and not knowing my bio family, Punnett squares should have ..read more

Is it Adoption Awareness or ADOPTEE Awareness Month…because it needs to be both. Adoption…sure…fine…There are cases when it has to happen when the situation is that dire for the child/baby. (This was my case, and I know the facts about my start in life, so no arguments, please.) However, ABSOLUTELY, this month needs to recognize the amazing, resilient, magical, wonderful world of adopted people!!! Guys, WE ROCK!!! We are everywhere: in your neighborhoods, stores, workplaces, vacations, offices, subways, schools, airplanes, busses and trains. We’re in every country and speak every language. We ..read more

No…not the Holidays…The NAAP (formerly IAN) adoption conference is coming up the weekend of September 9th and 10th! For me, it’s a mini-vacation where I get to hang out, meet and learn from people just like me: adoptees. You may also get to meet first/biological parents, therapists, social workers and adoptive parents too. Some of the attendees wear more than one hat in the adoption-land too! Gathering in-person is a huge blessing considering the year-and-a-half we’ve all had, but additionally, a virtual option is available this time around, so no one has to miss out! For this event, colleague ..read more

This is an adoptee-centered anthology I recently discovered. It is from 2012 and the contributing authors are diverse and make important observations and points about life as an adopted adult who becomes a parent. I was curious about this book because I definitely believe that being an adopted person has influenced in some ways how I have parented and provided for my children, and it has made me extra watchful regarding their child development.  The second entry by Bert Ballard, Ph.D. references the concept of intergenerationality, also known as multi-generationality. This concept is abou ..read more