Cross-Cultural Engagement in the Library

Part memoir, part speculative fiction, The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be tells the true story of author Shannon Gibney's experience growing up as the adopted Black daughter of white parents in America alongside the fictional story of Erin Powers, the name Shannon was given at birth by the white woman who put her up for adoption. At its core, the novel is a tale of two girls on two different timelines, occasionally bridged by a mysterious portal and their shared search for a complete picture of their origins.

The book follows the true stories of women who choose adoption for their babies, some of them making this choice multiple times. There are also stories from adoptive parents who relate their experiences with scams, disappointments, emotional and financial exploitation, and the dubious "assistance" of baby brokers. The process of adopting a baby involves struggle, uncertainty, and even heartache but, for many people, somehow manages to end happily when birth and adoptive parents create connections that respectfully and even joyfully meet their need for one another.

. In this deeply honest and necessary book, an adoptee, a birth parent, and an adoptive parent come together to illuminate the often unspoken realities of adoption. Drawing from their own journeys and interviews with adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, social workers, therapists, and allies, the authors reveal the complex emotions, challenges, and questions that surround adoption at every stage. Grounded in attachment science, rooted in a commitment to truth and transparency, and shaped by lived experience, this book offers vital insight and guidance for anyone affected by adoption.

. Using her own experiences and those of the 63 adoptive families she interviewed, Karen unpacks the lessons we all can learn through the brokenness and beauty of adoption. In this poignant and touching book you'll discover that your family is not alone in the challenges of the adoption journey, surprising treasures can be found in the harder aspects of adoptive parenting and gaining a rearview mirror perspective of the lesser discussed aspects of adoption can better prepare you for the road ahead. This is a road trip you won't want to miss Adoptive parents around the globe are saying this is a 'must read' for anyone on the adoption journey.

For anyone considering or going through Fostering for Adoption, this book gives you a detailed, personal account of the process which takes you through all the stages and prepares you to cope with the highs and lows.

Open-Eyed Adoption presents a compassionate look at uncovering the mysteries of the adoptive parent/adoptee relationship Open-Eyed Adoption is written for the purpose of supplying a resource for those who have adopted children as well as those who are considering the possibility of doing so. Often adoptive parents are ill-prepared and uninformed as to the unique challenges that raising adopted children presents. This book gives resource and tools to the parent for better understanding of what may be happening in the heart of their child.

Upending our established values and beliefs about what makes a family, Steeped in Blood examines the social and political devaluation of adoptive ties. It takes readers on an intellectual journey through accepted wisdom about adoption, twins, kinship, and incest, and challenges our naturalistic and individualistic assumptions about identity and the biological ties that bind us, sometimes violently, to our families.

In this groundbreaking collection of essays, poems, and creative nonfiction, more than twenty-nine writers offer witty and incisive insight into the unique experience of being or having an older parent in today's world. By turns raw, funny, tender, and wise, these stories reshape our understanding of the social factors that impact later parenthood, honor the strength and resilience required to overcome countless challenges posed in healthcare and adoption settings, and relish in the many joys of a parent-child relationship, no matter what age.