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Shadows of The Ivory: A Memoir
470 pages, Paperback
Published December 2, 2025
2 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Maryline Anna Roux
1 bookMaryline was born in West Africa in the Ivory Coast in the village Vieux-Badien. Born to an African mother and a French father, she left her birth country when she was almost one year old and spent the first 25 years of her life near Paris with her adoptive family, which she revisits in her upcoming memoir, Shadows of The Ivory. She moved to the United States in 1993 after meeting and marrying her American husband, Patrick.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 27, 2026
I didn’t rush through this memoir — not because it wasn’t compelling, but because it moved me so deeply that I needed time to sit with it between chapters. This is the kind of book that doesn’t just tell a story; it invites you into it.
Reading it felt intimate, almost sacred — like sitting across from the author at a quiet table in an open pasture, horses grazing nearby, as she shared her life without pretense. Her voice is honest and unguarded, and that vulnerability is what makes this memoir so powerful. I didn’t just read her story — I felt it. I felt the pain, the gratitude, the strength, the relentless motivation. It hurt at times. It inspired at others. And somehow, it ultimately filled me with love.
The final chapter left me in tears. Not dramatic, passing emotion — but the kind that lingers. The kind that strengthens your faith in resilience, in growth, in the quiet courage it takes to live honestly.
Her writing is extraordinary. There is poetry in it, but also clarity and grounding. This memoir feels like her soul on paper — raw, brave, and generous. Sharing a story this personal with the world requires immense courage, and she does so with grace.
This is more than a memoir. It’s a testimony to strength, vulnerability, and the beauty of becoming. I am deeply grateful this story exists.
Reading it felt intimate, almost sacred — like sitting across from the author at a quiet table in an open pasture, horses grazing nearby, as she shared her life without pretense. Her voice is honest and unguarded, and that vulnerability is what makes this memoir so powerful. I didn’t just read her story — I felt it. I felt the pain, the gratitude, the strength, the relentless motivation. It hurt at times. It inspired at others. And somehow, it ultimately filled me with love.
The final chapter left me in tears. Not dramatic, passing emotion — but the kind that lingers. The kind that strengthens your faith in resilience, in growth, in the quiet courage it takes to live honestly.
Her writing is extraordinary. There is poetry in it, but also clarity and grounding. This memoir feels like her soul on paper — raw, brave, and generous. Sharing a story this personal with the world requires immense courage, and she does so with grace.
This is more than a memoir. It’s a testimony to strength, vulnerability, and the beauty of becoming. I am deeply grateful this story exists.
March 1, 2026
Shadows of the Ivory is the kind of memoir that grabs your attention from the very first page and refuses to let go. What begins as a personal narrative quickly transforms into a profound exploration of identity, memory, and the "murky" waters of one’s own past.
This book is a powerful and ultimately healing look at how far we will go to find the truth of our own existence.
For many people—and for adoptees in particular—the beginning of the story isn't a clear-cut path; it is a puzzle with missing pieces. The author goes to great lengths to track down these pieces which made me feel every bit of the frustration and hope that comes with the search.
What makes Shadows of the Ivory stand out is how deeply relatable it feels, regardless of your own background. While the author's specific circumstances may be unique, the emotions are universal. As children we all share that desire to find where we fit in the world, which is made especially difficult when you don’t know your backstory.
The author portrays a vivid picture of what it means to understand and reclaim a history that was once hidden in the shadows.
The struggle to define ourselves is a shared human experience.
This book is a powerful and ultimately healing look at how far we will go to find the truth of our own existence.
For many people—and for adoptees in particular—the beginning of the story isn't a clear-cut path; it is a puzzle with missing pieces. The author goes to great lengths to track down these pieces which made me feel every bit of the frustration and hope that comes with the search.
What makes Shadows of the Ivory stand out is how deeply relatable it feels, regardless of your own background. While the author's specific circumstances may be unique, the emotions are universal. As children we all share that desire to find where we fit in the world, which is made especially difficult when you don’t know your backstory.
The author portrays a vivid picture of what it means to understand and reclaim a history that was once hidden in the shadows.
The struggle to define ourselves is a shared human experience.
March 1, 2026
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2026
Shadows of The Ivory tells the powerful story of a woman separated from her African mother as a baby, and adopted by her godmother, yet never fully separated from the questions of her past. The reader is drawn into Maryline’s emotional journey– a life shaped by love and care, but also by absence and longing. It beautifully captures her internal conflict of gratitude for her life so far, alongside a deep, persistent need to understand the mother and family in Africa she never knew. These questions drive the narrative forward, turning what could have been a simple life story into a compelling search for identity.
This memoir is both thrilling and heartbreaking. Each revelation about her past feels hard-won, and every setback underscores the emotional cost of living between two worlds. Maryline writes with honesty and vulnerability, allowing readers to feel her confusion, anger, hope, and determination. Her struggles with identity – cultural, familial, and personal – ultimately shape her into a resilient and self-aware woman.
This memoir is a testament to love in its many forms: the love of a birth mother she barely knew, the love of a godmother who steps up, the love of a father who was a part of her life from afar, and the enduring love Maryline carries within herself as she refuses to give up on her search for truth. It is also the exploration of love, loss and the courage required to keep moving forward despite it. Deeply inspiring, this memoir reminds us that while our beginnings may shape us, it is our resilience and determination that define who we become.
Shadows of The Ivory tells the powerful story of a woman separated from her African mother as a baby, and adopted by her godmother, yet never fully separated from the questions of her past. The reader is drawn into Maryline’s emotional journey– a life shaped by love and care, but also by absence and longing. It beautifully captures her internal conflict of gratitude for her life so far, alongside a deep, persistent need to understand the mother and family in Africa she never knew. These questions drive the narrative forward, turning what could have been a simple life story into a compelling search for identity.
This memoir is both thrilling and heartbreaking. Each revelation about her past feels hard-won, and every setback underscores the emotional cost of living between two worlds. Maryline writes with honesty and vulnerability, allowing readers to feel her confusion, anger, hope, and determination. Her struggles with identity – cultural, familial, and personal – ultimately shape her into a resilient and self-aware woman.
This memoir is a testament to love in its many forms: the love of a birth mother she barely knew, the love of a godmother who steps up, the love of a father who was a part of her life from afar, and the enduring love Maryline carries within herself as she refuses to give up on her search for truth. It is also the exploration of love, loss and the courage required to keep moving forward despite it. Deeply inspiring, this memoir reminds us that while our beginnings may shape us, it is our resilience and determination that define who we become.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews