Books for Adopted Adults
Although
we recognize that not all adoptees are in emotional turmoil, the
following books have been helpful to many adopted adults.
Adoption
Healing ...a
path to recovery by Joseph M. Soll. This book offers
step-by-step guidelines on how through anger and pain to contentment.
Being
Adopted: The
Lifelong Search for Self by David M. Brodzinsky, Ph.D.; Marshall D.
Schechter, MD & Robin Marantz Henig (1992). This book overlays
potential adoption developmental tasks on Erik Erickson’s model of
developmental tasks. It’s value to adopted
adults would be to understand some of the processes they went through
or are going through.
Coming
Home to Self: The
Adopted Child Grows Up. by Nancy Newton Verrier. In
this amazing resource book, Verrrier talks about anger, rage, guilt,
shame, sorrow, joy, and many other emotions that adoptees experience.
She discusses reunion issues for the birth
parent, adoptive parent, and siblings/spouses of triad members which is
helpful for all triad members to see how the others side(s) feel.
Growing
Up
Again, By
Sherrie Eldridge This well written gives tremendous
insights into the kind of parenting one receives and the affects of
that parenting on their own ability to parent. One chapter is devoted
entirely to adoption.
The
Adoption Reader: Birth
Mothers, Adoptive Mothers and Adopted Daughters Tell Their Stories,
Edited by Susan Wadia-Ellis, (1995) The stories in this book are often
eloquent and moving, even controversial. The women’s voices are very
honest.
Adoption
Reunion
Survival
Guide: Preparing Yourself for
the Search, Reunion and Beyond, by Julie Jarrell Bailey & Lynn N.
Giddens, MA (2001) Great suggestions on “do’s" and "don’ts.” Bailey and
Giddens review preparation, pitfalls and legal issues.
Sacred
Connections: Stories of Adoption Essays
by Mary Ann Koenig
(2000). A very
honest book, sometimes difficult to read because of the pain. Adults
that were adopted may find shared feelings with some of the story
subjects.
Searching
for
a Past: The
Adopted Adults Unique Process of Finding Identity by Jayne Schooler
(1995). A realistic and sensitive look at real feelings, real
barriers, real pain and real
joy.
Twenty
Life Transforming
Choices Adoptees Need to Make by Sherrie Eldridge.
This is yet another healing book Christian adoptee, Sherrie
Eldridge. The book provides exercises at the end of each chapter
that offer practical faith based and non-faith based solutions to
healing the pain caused by adoption.
