Review of YOU DON'T LOOK ADOPTED

Paperback, 312 pages

Published February 5th, 2017 by Running Water Press

When you take away the habits of your life, you get to the question of Who am I? And if you sit with that, you get to the question of How far am I willing to go to find the answers? If you are Anne Heffron, someone who had no idea where she was the first ten weeks of her life, you’ll give away almost everything you own, pack what’s left, and head for the city of your birth on a voyage you call Write or Die with the pledge you won’t go home until you find what’s real about yourself.

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There are a lot of books available to readers regarding families and their journey of adopting a child, but this is the first memoir that I have come upon from the view of the individual who was adopted. I liked the way the book was constructed with titled passages. Consequently, more then not Anne Heffron’s story of being adopted was saddening though at times there is joy and happiness. As a reader, I learned a lot about what it means to be adopted. Although, it was only one individual's story maybe it will encourage others to come forward and tell of their experience.

 

Anne Heffron was born in Manhattan in 1964 to a young college student who gave her up for adoption. Fifty-one years later Anne returned to Manhattan to find the roots of her story, the story that began with her birth instead of the story that began “The day we got you.” This journey is the subject of “You Don’t Look Adopted”, an account of the perils and blessings of adoption.

Before turning to memoir, Anne co-wrote the film “Phantom Halo” with her writing partner, Antonia Bogdanovich. “Phantom Halo” was first shown at the 2015 Austin Film Festival and won Best Picture at the 2015 New York International Film Festival. She and Antonia currently have a screenplay, “The Rabbit Will Die” in development.

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Angies' review of THE PROMISE BETWEEN US by Barbara Claypole White

Paperback: 384 pages

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (January 16, 2018)

From the bestselling author of The Perfect Son comes a hopeful tale of redemption, renewal, and the promise of love.

Metal artist Katie Mack is living a lie. Nine years ago she ran away from her family in Raleigh, North Carolina, consumed by the irrational fear that she would harm Maisie, her newborn daughter. Over time she’s come to grips with the mental illness that nearly destroyed her, and now funnels her pain into her art. Despite longing for Maisie, Katie honors an agreement with the husband she left behind—to change her name and never return.

But when she and Maisie accidentally reunite, Katie can’t ignore the familiarity of her child’s compulsive behavior. Worse, Maisie worries obsessively about bad things happening to her pregnant stepmom. Katie has the power to help, but can she reconnect with the family she abandoned?

To protect Maisie, Katie must face the fears that drove her from home, accept the possibility of love, and risk exposing her heart-wrenching secret.

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This is the first Barbara Claypole White book that I have read. I was intrigued by the subject matter due to the fact I had no notion that OCD could affect an individual's brain like it does to a couple of the prominent characters. Nevertheless, the book might not have been perfect yet the favorable along with the adverse combined to produce a captivating middle of the road novel. Such as, repetitive amounts of “what if” throughout the book was driving me a bit batty. For example:

What if, just by being around me, she’s at risk? What if I was wrong to bring her here? She’s too close to the chop saw. What if I put her hand underneath, lowered the blade, and...An image. A bloody image.  

Another issue I did not at all agree with was Callum and Lilah pressuring Maisie into calling Lilah mom when she was not ready. Nevertheless, I do not want to give too many spoilers away. Katie to me was a superhero. She tried to overcome everything negative that was propelled at her. As a parent, shouldn't she have oodles of more access to her child? Unquestionably, there is more I would like to write about, but I have already given away enough spoilers.

I control fire; I am strong  

~Katie

*Please forgive such a weird review. I had surgery and am not recovering as fast as expected.

Bestselling author Barbara Claypole White creates hopeful family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness. Originally from England, she writes and gardens in the forests of North Carolina where she lives with her beloved OCD family. Her novels include The Unfinished Garden, The In-Between Hour, The Perfect Son, and Echoes of Family. The Promise Between Us, a story of redemption, sacrifice, and OCD, has a publication date of January 16th, 2018. She is also an OCD Advocate for the A2A Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes advocacy over adversity. To connect with Barbara, please visit www.barbaraclaypolewhite.com, or follow her on Facebook. She’s always on Facebook.