Book Review: Two Little Girls, A Memoir of Adoption by Theresa Reid

I review many, many adoptive parent memoirs as my online store, AdoptShoppe, specializes in adoption books and gifts. Most are sent to me by their authors, sometimes their publishers. Chronicling their family's adoption journey - personal and geographical - all the memoirs I've read are deeply heartfelt and undoubtedly served their purpose as a cathartic release for their respective authors.

Few, however, are particularly well-written or bring anything new to the genre (which, if I glance at the pile on my office floor, is growing exponentially.) The typical adoptive parent memoir structure is (feel free to take notes):

• We're infertile;
• We try reproductive technology/we don't try reproductive technology; 
• We decide to adopt - we read books, take courses, talk to friends, cruise the web; 
• We decide on domestic vs. international (most I read decide on the latter); 
• We pick the country and the agency; 
• We stress about the paperwork, the details, and friends/family who don't understand and say strange and hurtful things to us; 
• We travel, which is fine, not so fine, pretty damn awful depending on the leg of the trip; 
• Our accommodations generally suck but we soldier on; 
• We meet the child, he/she is incredibly beautiful and wonderful - or not; 
• We spend time with the child - we are either madly in love and completely besotted or we think, "What have we gotten ourselves into?" 
• We complete the adoption with a lot of stress, lost/missing paperwork, disinterested bureaucrats/greedy lawyers; 
• We leave feeling relieved/sad/overwhelmed; 
• We come home promising our child, ourselves, and G-d almighty that we will love this child unconditionally, honor his/her heritage, and work on becoming a good and loving family.

As I said, almost all adoptive parent memoirs follow this general story outline. However, every once in a while, a memoir comes along that blows me completely away. Two Little Girls, A Memoir of Adoption is such a memoir.

Article Author: Roberta Rosenberg

Roberta Rosenberg is a direct response marketing & SEO consultant, copywriter and coach (MGP Direct), popular etailer (AdoptShoppe), and mom to 3, two adopted from Korea (Adopting from Korea) with a strong need to share about issues I care about it.
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