With the narrative force of an epic novel and the urgency of first-rate investigative journalism, this important book delves into the daily workings and life-or-death decisions of a typical American family court system. It provides an intimate look at the lives of the parents and children whose fate it decides. A must for social workers and social work students, attorneys, judges, foster parents, law students, child advocates, teachers, journalists and anyone who cares about our nation's children.
“A suspenseful, moving look at twisted maternal love and the limits of forgiveness.” —People “Not only a terrific, spellbinding read but a fascinating meditation on the choices we make and the way we love.” —Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author Simply told but deeply affecting, in the bestselling tradition of Alice McDermott and Tom Perrotta, this urgent novel unravels the heartrending yet unsentimental tale of a woman who kidnaps a baby in a superstore—and gets away with it for twenty-one years. Lucy Wakefield is a seemingly ordinary woman who does something extraordinary in a desperate moment: she takes a baby girl from a shopping cart and raises her as her own. It’s a secret she manages to keep for over two decades—from her daughter, the babysitter who helped raise her, family, coworkers, and friends. When Lucy’s now-grown daughter Mia discovers the devastating truth of her origins, she is overwhelmed by confusion and anger and determines not to speak again to the mother who raised her. She reaches out to her birth mother for a tearful reunion, and Lucy is forced to flee to China to avoid prosecution. What follows is a ripple effect that alters the lives of many and challenges our understanding of the very meaning of motherhood. Author Helen Klein Ross, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, weaves a powerful story of upheaval and resilience told from the alternating perspectives of Lucy, Mia, Mia’s birth mother, and others intimately involved in the kidnapping. What Was Mine is a compelling tale of motherhood and loss, of grief and hope, and the life-shattering effects of a single, irrevocable moment.
From the author of Sunday Times bestsellers One Child and Ghost Girl comes a heartbreaking story of one teacher's determination to turn a chaotic group of damaged children into a family.
From debut novelist Nancy Woodruff comes this chilling and beautifully wrought story of forgiveness, renewal, and the ever-elusive second chance. When fifteen-year-old Matt and his family move from Oregon to an affluent Connecticut suburb, the fact that he is home-schooled brands him as more than an outsider -- he is a town oddity. Just when he seems to have made inroads into the closed social circuit, just when he is embraced by a trio of teenage girls and feels his life might be changing for the better, he is responsible for a devastating car crash that leaves two of the girls dead. Tara isn't in the car with her best friends. Instead, she's by her mother Jennie's bedside as she gives birth to a baby girl. While Jennie and her husband Chris mourn Tara's friends, and try to make sense of their eldest daughter's loss and their own new baby, a pervasive sense of blame begins to rain down on Matt. Jennie knows the community's reaction will surely ruin Matt's life. But when she reaches out to him, hiring him to work for her high school reunion company for the summer, Jennie suddenly finds herself vilified as well. In the face of community and family derision, both imagined and real, physical and emotional, Jennie and Matt soon find themselves in solidarity. As their attachment grows, Jennie realizes that she is bound to Matt by more than just compassion -- that the broken child she sought to save is, somehow, reviving her. Someone Else's Child is a deeply moving story of guilt and forgiveness, despair and hope, and the intricacies of love and responsibility. In rich and unforgettable prose, Nancy Woodruff masterfully explores the fraying loyalties that can turn our world upside down in the face of tragedy.
Theresa is a career woman, a mother and a wife. When her mother calls to say there's trouble at her elderly neighbor's house and she's going over to investigate, Theresa has no choice but to get involved. Before the night is over, Theresa finds herself caught up in the harsh brutality of the streets, with a drive-by shooting, a mysterious kidnapping, and more.
More people than ever are loving other people's children--in stepfamilies, extended families, adoptive families, and other situations that have more to do with love than biology. If you are loving someone else's child, you'll face challenges-- and this book will help you meet them. In Loving Someone Else's Child, Angela Hunt talks respectfully, affectionately, and expertly to parents like me caught in an imperfect, sometimes impossible, family. She is a family expert with courage and a big heart.Dave Kopp, former editor Christian Parenting Today Newly revised and updated.
The first time I saw you, I knew you were meant to be ours. I took you in my arms, your little hands in tight fists, and I knew I was going to do everything in my power to be the mother you needed and deserved... When Catriona loses her baby girl at birth, it shatters her. But like a light in the darkness, Catriona is given the chance to adopt beautiful baby April, and now she cannot imagine life without her. The family's picture-perfect home is filled every day with April's warm giggles and joyful games. But when her daughter is just eight years old, Catriona gets the call that she has been silently dreading. April's birth mother, Lauren, would like to meet her. Lauren breezes into their home and April just sparkles around her. Their matching turquoise eyes and chestnut hair feels like a knife to Catriona's heart. Lauren appears to have her life back on track, with a good job and a new house in an upscale neighbourhood. Pushing to spend more and more time with April, one day Lauren says the unthinkable: April belongs with me. Who can truly give the little girl the love and family she deserves? Catriona is sure Lauren is keeping secrets. Catriona only wants what is best for her darling daughter, but does that really mean she has to let her go forever? A totally unforgettable, emotional, and beautiful novel that will break your heart into a million pieces and put it back together again. Powerful and ultimately uplifting, fans of Kate Hewitt, Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain will be captivated. Readers love Alison Ragsdale! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'The saddest book I have read this year... Even through all the tears that flowed down my face I kept on reading. I did have to take a break a few times so I could see the words... So honestly heartbreaking... 5 stars and a million more.' Linda's Book Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'Wow. Just wow... I smiled, I laughed, I cried and then I smiled some more. My eyes are puffy, my nose is running, which to me shows just how amazing this book really is!' Chloe's Reading Room ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'I cried, many times... So many times I gasped out loud, and I seriously could not put this book down!... This amazing book will feature in my top five books for the year. I just can't stop thinking about it.' NetGalley reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'I'm about ready to run my tear ducts dry!... I was doing the ugly cry... I was drawn into their story from page one and had a hard time putting it down to go to bed. My dreams were filled with this story... Worth taking a day off work!' PJP Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'WOW! This story was an emotional, heart-wrenching rollercoaster of a ride. Make sure you have tissues close by. I cried and smiled as I read. This was a book that I did not want to put down.' Goodreads reviewer
Tackling divorce and suicide with a warmth and sensitive humor that refuses to be weighed down, Someone Else's Shoes chronicles a road trip that unites three young people in search of family and acceptance. Fans of Sharon Draper, Jo Knowles and Counting by Sevens will be moved by this tale of what brings us together when things fall apart. Twelve-year-old Izzy, a budding stand-up comic, is already miserable about her father's new marriage and the new baby on the way. Then ten-year-old cousin Oliver and his father, Uncle Henderson, move in with Izzy and her mom because Oliver's mother committed suicide only a few months ago. And to make matters worse, Ben, the rebellious 16-year-old son of Izzy's mother's boyfriend, winds up staying with them, too. But when Uncle Henderson--who has been struggling with depression after his wife's suicide--disappears, Ben, Izzy, and Oliver set aside their differences and hatch a plan to find him. As the threesome travels in search of Henderson, they find a surrogate family in each other.
The combination of a riveting true story and cutting-edge twin research makes this book an irresistible page-turner. Identical twins Begoña and Delia were born thirty-eight years ago in Spain’s Canary Islands. Due to chaotic conditions at the hospital or simple human error, the unthinkable happened: Delia was unintentionally switched with another infant in the baby nursery. This fascinating story describes in vivid detail the consequences of this unintentional separation of identical twin sisters. The author considers not only the effects on these particular sisters, but the important implications of this and similar cases for questions concerning identity, familial bonds, nature-nurture, and the law.
