What do you think?
Rate this book
When love is not enough
When Cherry Willoughby looked into the eyes of her adopted daughter, she was sure a loving family could heal the wounds of her daughter's troubled past. How devastatingly and terrifyingly wrong she was.Her entire world was about to be broken apart in more ways than she could ever have imagined.Who could she turn to, and more importantly, who would listen?
596 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2012
5 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 9, 2017
This was an interesting if rather depressing tale of the problems one family encountered in bringing up an adopted daughter with severe mental disabilities, probably including autism. Parts of it sounded all too familiar - one of my younger sisters is autistic, and a number of Maryann's problems sounded terribly like my sister's behaviour.
It was a somewhat frustrating read, as certain information is held back from the reader in a manner probably all too much like the way relevant information was held back from the adoptive parents. This included information on why Maryann was available for adoption, and on why and when Maryann's diagnosis of autism was rescinded. (It sounded like a highly likely diagnosis to me.)
It was also frustrating because it was a book which badly needed a good editor and didn't get it. It was larded with errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar which made it quite painful to read!
It was a somewhat frustrating read, as certain information is held back from the reader in a manner probably all too much like the way relevant information was held back from the adoptive parents. This included information on why Maryann was available for adoption, and on why and when Maryann's diagnosis of autism was rescinded. (It sounded like a highly likely diagnosis to me.)
It was also frustrating because it was a book which badly needed a good editor and didn't get it. It was larded with errors of spelling, punctuation and grammar which made it quite painful to read!
August 21, 2018
I found this a hard book to put down ...
What this family went through was mind boggling! I was totally surprised by the people who knew this child the best were not listened to and ignored in the help they needed! Just maybe if things were attended to many years earlier this child and family may have had a better result and Maryann may have grown into a happier child!
Understandable that Social Services is under extreme pressure but this family went through hell quite a few times. Truths were not told to the family ... Important information withheld .....
At least some things have now been changed!
What this family went through was mind boggling! I was totally surprised by the people who knew this child the best were not listened to and ignored in the help they needed! Just maybe if things were attended to many years earlier this child and family may have had a better result and Maryann may have grown into a happier child!
Understandable that Social Services is under extreme pressure but this family went through hell quite a few times. Truths were not told to the family ... Important information withheld .....
At least some things have now been changed!
September 3, 2017
You wpntvbe able to put this book down. Its fabulous.
If you are considering fostering children or adoptiom, this book is a must read. Sometimes love is not enough. Follow Cherrys journey and you will be glad you did.
If you are considering fostering children or adoptiom, this book is a must read. Sometimes love is not enough. Follow Cherrys journey and you will be glad you did.
January 31, 2020
Good but sad.
Cherry tried to be a good mom and have a happy family life after adopting two girls from foster care. Don't believe in spoiler s so won't say anything else but I read this book in less than a day.
Cherry tried to be a good mom and have a happy family life after adopting two girls from foster care. Don't believe in spoiler s so won't say anything else but I read this book in less than a day.
July 2, 2014
All too familiar
Cherry has written what could have been my adoption experience. Two of the five children we,adopted had so many severe problems that were constantly being blamed on poor parenting. We had taken more than twice the required parenting classes. I read every book I could find . No one knew how to deal with the issues yet were willing to criticise every method I used. The stress sent me first to a therapist for support. I had lost all friends by then. then exacerbated my husbands growing alcoholism to the point where he saw nothing wrong with standing by watching while one of the boys physically abused me. I too lost the dream of having a loving harmonious family, lost the marriage and still struggle to find appropriate care for one of the boys within the laws of the mental health system. The other boy is incarcerated. I can at least feel physically safe. Even now with all the good programs available the majority of "help" offered parents is in the form of useless meetings where the professionals admit they have no solution at the same time they blame the parents for not knowing enough. This needs to stop. Adoptive parents do not cause the problems! These children have experienced abuse interim, or at the hands of their biological family. Unfortunately love is not enough! Thank you Cherry for showing the world the truth.
Cherry has written what could have been my adoption experience. Two of the five children we,adopted had so many severe problems that were constantly being blamed on poor parenting. We had taken more than twice the required parenting classes. I read every book I could find . No one knew how to deal with the issues yet were willing to criticise every method I used. The stress sent me first to a therapist for support. I had lost all friends by then. then exacerbated my husbands growing alcoholism to the point where he saw nothing wrong with standing by watching while one of the boys physically abused me. I too lost the dream of having a loving harmonious family, lost the marriage and still struggle to find appropriate care for one of the boys within the laws of the mental health system. The other boy is incarcerated. I can at least feel physically safe. Even now with all the good programs available the majority of "help" offered parents is in the form of useless meetings where the professionals admit they have no solution at the same time they blame the parents for not knowing enough. This needs to stop. Adoptive parents do not cause the problems! These children have experienced abuse interim, or at the hands of their biological family. Unfortunately love is not enough! Thank you Cherry for showing the world the truth.
July 1, 2014
Intense
Rated this book a five not because it was a great story but because of all the struggles that went on in the life of this family.
Recommendation for reading this book I would have to say about early 20's.
I think anyone looking into adoption should really read this book. It was an emotional rollercoaster for myself. I have thought of going into foster care but because I'm on that could never return a child to an abusive home whether the parents were drug or alcohol abuse to actual abuse in over punching a child who have gone through rehab and determined by courts that they are fit to have their chid/ren back I would fight to keep them.
The two little girls in this story my heart broke for them. Tears just kept falling. The parents tried their best. The father couldn't handle it well at all.
Please read this book if considering become a foster parent or legal guardian. If your interested in this kind of reading go for it either way for men or women have a box of kleenex ready.
Open heart reading!
Rated this book a five not because it was a great story but because of all the struggles that went on in the life of this family.
Recommendation for reading this book I would have to say about early 20's.
I think anyone looking into adoption should really read this book. It was an emotional rollercoaster for myself. I have thought of going into foster care but because I'm on that could never return a child to an abusive home whether the parents were drug or alcohol abuse to actual abuse in over punching a child who have gone through rehab and determined by courts that they are fit to have their chid/ren back I would fight to keep them.
The two little girls in this story my heart broke for them. Tears just kept falling. The parents tried their best. The father couldn't handle it well at all.
Please read this book if considering become a foster parent or legal guardian. If your interested in this kind of reading go for it either way for men or women have a box of kleenex ready.
Open heart reading!
April 21, 2013
i don't know how I feel about this book. I am in two minds. On the one side its a clear view of what could go wrong with an adoption and what questions to ask when starting the adoption process..on the other hand its the same story over and over, it doesn't feel as if the story is evolving which unfortunately turns this read into a very long and boring one.
December 16, 2020
This was such a sad tale of what abuse does to children and how truly difficult it is to get adequate mental health care.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews