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My Boy, Their Son
It was Mariah’s worst choice—and the best decision.
As open adoptions go, it’s a dream scenario. But that doesn’t make saying goodbye any easier. From the hit true storytelling podcast RISK! comes a beautiful and heart-aching memoir of a mother’s love.
Mariah MacCarthy was a financially strapped playwright in Queens with two roommates. Nothing about that situation said Let’s add a baby to this. Nine months later, having Leo adopted by two gay dads was the most loving solution possible. All Mariah fears now is becoming a stranger. But as four lives are irrevocably changed, Mariah discovers that embracing the moment of farewell is just the beginning of a family story, by turns joyous and devastating.
26 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2019
306 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
November 7, 2019
Audiobook read by the author Mariah McCarthy
38 minutes: An Amazon Original Stories
This short story restores all sorts of faith about open adoption.
Mariah, Leo, her son, and her two gay dad’s, touch the most common elements of our hearts.
Wonderful- I wanted more!!
38 minutes: An Amazon Original Stories
This short story restores all sorts of faith about open adoption.
Mariah, Leo, her son, and her two gay dad’s, touch the most common elements of our hearts.
Wonderful- I wanted more!!
December 23, 2019
Meh. This wasn't as good as I had expected. 2.5 rounded down.
May 30, 2019
1st read by this author who gave an honest account on her feelings before, during, and after the open adoption of her son. There were some heartfelt moments as a difficult decision was made. Quick read.
May 21, 2019
This is a thirty page confessional
I did not notice this was not a full book but a few paragraphs. Ramblings from a young and her thoughts. Not even a story. I guess it gave me a little insight into one person's experience with an open adoption. I guess I don't really care.
The use of the plural pronoun to describe an individual is awkward and basically stupid in my mind. But the author felt she, er excuse me, they, are "queer". Even stranger considering this person gave birth and identifies as a mother. Haha.
I did not notice this was not a full book but a few paragraphs. Ramblings from a young and her thoughts. Not even a story. I guess it gave me a little insight into one person's experience with an open adoption. I guess I don't really care.
The use of the plural pronoun to describe an individual is awkward and basically stupid in my mind. But the author felt she, er excuse me, they, are "queer". Even stranger considering this person gave birth and identifies as a mother. Haha.
May 13, 2019
I always wondered....
As a teen in college I had a pregnancy "scare" and immediately went through how the different options before me might play out; mostly how I'd feel after whatever decision I'd make if I were pregnant. Open adoption seemed like torture, but less torture than never knowing. This story gave me some clarity on those sometimes revisited agonizing days before I discovered I was NOT pregnant, but instead had mono. In fact, I'm now 46 and I have never been able to conceive at all. I'd take the "torture" of open adoption over that even after reading this heartfelt story.
As a teen in college I had a pregnancy "scare" and immediately went through how the different options before me might play out; mostly how I'd feel after whatever decision I'd make if I were pregnant. Open adoption seemed like torture, but less torture than never knowing. This story gave me some clarity on those sometimes revisited agonizing days before I discovered I was NOT pregnant, but instead had mono. In fact, I'm now 46 and I have never been able to conceive at all. I'd take the "torture" of open adoption over that even after reading this heartfelt story.
June 27, 2019
Having also just listened to an episode of “Heartbroken with Fallen” about an adoption journey, it’s interesting to come back and reflect on this Amazon single. I really appreciated the honesty and complexity of this – how even when the author was confident of her decision in favor of adoption, there were still moments of sorrow and pain and fear. I appreciated that exploration of the idea that hard and painful experiences aren’t mutually exclusive with the best or right choices. I agree with some of the other reviewers – I really wanted MORE.
January 21, 2021
My Boy, Their Son
What a wonderful heartbreaking story. I love that the birth mother did what she felt was right for her son even though it had to be so extremely difficult. Of course this left me in tears.
What a wonderful heartbreaking story. I love that the birth mother did what she felt was right for her son even though it had to be so extremely difficult. Of course this left me in tears.
March 10, 2021
Such a beautiful but sad story. Written in such a heartfelt way about what it’s like to give a baby up for adoption. I love the way the author didn’t hold back on the good and bad and the truth of what it was like for them. Really really beautiful.
May 20, 2019
Good idea, average story
I bought this book thinking what a great story it would be (I have a daughter that gave a daughter up for adoption). I was disappointed in both the brevity of the book and the lack of depth to the story.
I bought this book thinking what a great story it would be (I have a daughter that gave a daughter up for adoption). I was disappointed in both the brevity of the book and the lack of depth to the story.
June 1, 2019
Very honest and heartfelt essay on open adoption
The ways we build families in the 21st century is complicated. We do need more stories of the emotions and ups and downs of those complexities. This is a great example of how to do that.
The ways we build families in the 21st century is complicated. We do need more stories of the emotions and ups and downs of those complexities. This is a great example of how to do that.
May 19, 2019
Great short story about open adoption. Really appreciated this unapologetic point of view from a birth mom who, while sure of her decision about making an adoption plan for her child, still deals with the loss and pain it brings.
May 17, 2019
Wonderful quick read.
I loved this story. I really wanted more but it was perfect and so real. I had never read a story about open adoption and I appreciated the authors beautiful story about love and sacrifice. I would love a follow up some day.
I loved this story. I really wanted more but it was perfect and so real. I had never read a story about open adoption and I appreciated the authors beautiful story about love and sacrifice. I would love a follow up some day.
June 2, 2025
Leo hunter
What an awesome and amazing story. I cryed when she gave Leo to the 2 men. But I was happy she felt confident in her decision.
What an awesome and amazing story. I cryed when she gave Leo to the 2 men. But I was happy she felt confident in her decision.
November 20, 2019
You may not agree with everything this author writes or her thoughts in regards to the decisions she made and why; but, despite the controversial topics covered within this book's brief pages it's all written with raw honesty. The kind of honesty that makes you take notice, pay attention, and absorb it. The kind of honesty that's deserving of no less than 4 stars.
Somehow, in choosing to delve into this book via Kindle I missed that it was a quick, short read. I swiped left, on the last page, and couldn't believe I had reached the end! There's more that wasn't told, more that could've been said, and I'm left wanting more.
This is an important book. Providing insight into an experience that not all of us have had. It shares the emotion, heart wrenching decisions, and the why behind them.
It left me conflicted but for all the right reasons. Certain decisions we have to make for ourselves, sometimes we have to make them for others (like our children); we can only hope we make the right ones.
Somehow, in choosing to delve into this book via Kindle I missed that it was a quick, short read. I swiped left, on the last page, and couldn't believe I had reached the end! There's more that wasn't told, more that could've been said, and I'm left wanting more.
This is an important book. Providing insight into an experience that not all of us have had. It shares the emotion, heart wrenching decisions, and the why behind them.
It left me conflicted but for all the right reasons. Certain decisions we have to make for ourselves, sometimes we have to make them for others (like our children); we can only hope we make the right ones.
April 30, 2020
Just Doesn't Do It For Me
I want to love this story. It has all the ingredients for an emotional heart wrenching read. And while I emphasize the painful decision that she made giving her son up for adoption, I couldn't help but dislike the way she justified her actions. She was a person who was too immature and self-centered to want her son, and I think the "he's going to have a better life because his adoptive parents are rich" and "I don't want to resent my son for not being able to do whatever I want whenever I want it" are not sympathetic reasons. I would have liked more self-awareness.
I want to love this story. It has all the ingredients for an emotional heart wrenching read. And while I emphasize the painful decision that she made giving her son up for adoption, I couldn't help but dislike the way she justified her actions. She was a person who was too immature and self-centered to want her son, and I think the "he's going to have a better life because his adoptive parents are rich" and "I don't want to resent my son for not being able to do whatever I want whenever I want it" are not sympathetic reasons. I would have liked more self-awareness.
July 11, 2021
Read if …..
you want to hear an honest, revealing account of open adoption. Told by the birth mother progresses from finding out about the pregnancy to the birth, early days of adoption and on to the present day, six years later.
you want to hear an honest, revealing account of open adoption. Told by the birth mother progresses from finding out about the pregnancy to the birth, early days of adoption and on to the present day, six years later.
February 15, 2021
As an adoptee I found this book very heart warming I loved it!
May 22, 2019
When I saw this on Prime Reading, I was struck by the title. I gave up a boy for adoption when I was 19 years old, so I already felt like I was on similar footing as the author. However, it turns out that the similarities end there.
As a fellow birthmother, I felt that the author basically glossed over the entire process of making her decision. I'm glad that she felt confident in her decision from the beginning. Yay for her! But the synopsis of this book seemed to imply that there was more to this story than there actually was in the book. Also, this is billed as a memoir in the synopsis and I don't know that you can call a book that is this short a memoir. I'd say a true, short story would be a more accurate description.
I don't know if I would ever want to write a book on my experience or not. I feel moderately guilty for writing this review, now. The decision to place a child for adoption is very personal. And no two adoption stories are going to be exactly alike. As I said earlier, I'm glad that she felt confident in her decision from the very beginning. I don't know what else she left out, specifically, but I can tell you that she left out a LOT.
I'm left wanting more. More information, more details. Just more.
As a fellow birthmother, I felt that the author basically glossed over the entire process of making her decision. I'm glad that she felt confident in her decision from the beginning. Yay for her! But the synopsis of this book seemed to imply that there was more to this story than there actually was in the book. Also, this is billed as a memoir in the synopsis and I don't know that you can call a book that is this short a memoir. I'd say a true, short story would be a more accurate description.
I don't know if I would ever want to write a book on my experience or not. I feel moderately guilty for writing this review, now. The decision to place a child for adoption is very personal. And no two adoption stories are going to be exactly alike. As I said earlier, I'm glad that she felt confident in her decision from the very beginning. I don't know what else she left out, specifically, but I can tell you that she left out a LOT.
I'm left wanting more. More information, more details. Just more.
July 10, 2019
Circumcised and Traumatized
I knew going in this would be a short story after reading the other reviews, so I was not surprised when it was more like an essay than a book, or even a short story. I am very disappointed in a society which makes it possible for a college educated woman to be unable to afford raising a wanted child because of college debt, high rents, and no free daycare. For a women to want to have a baby, yet not be able to have both a baby and a life, and to fulfill her dreams. Life is too short for this!
I was also sickened to read, that after her big goodbye scene in the hospital, her baby was most likely taken down the hall and circumcised by the doctors. Who made this decision, and what is the logic behind cutting the foreskin off of a baby? This infant started his life with a painful procedure, was not given breast milk, was kept from his parents for almost a month so the mother could change her mind, and then is expected to not have been traumatized? Please, anyone who reads this, THINK about what circumcision is, read about it, learn, change, stop doing it!
I knew going in this would be a short story after reading the other reviews, so I was not surprised when it was more like an essay than a book, or even a short story. I am very disappointed in a society which makes it possible for a college educated woman to be unable to afford raising a wanted child because of college debt, high rents, and no free daycare. For a women to want to have a baby, yet not be able to have both a baby and a life, and to fulfill her dreams. Life is too short for this!
I was also sickened to read, that after her big goodbye scene in the hospital, her baby was most likely taken down the hall and circumcised by the doctors. Who made this decision, and what is the logic behind cutting the foreskin off of a baby? This infant started his life with a painful procedure, was not given breast milk, was kept from his parents for almost a month so the mother could change her mind, and then is expected to not have been traumatized? Please, anyone who reads this, THINK about what circumcision is, read about it, learn, change, stop doing it!
May 24, 2019
I have friends that have adopted children over the years and when I came across this short story I thought the subject matter was intriguing since it was from a birth mother's experience. I was a little disappointed by the length since I originally I thought it would more a book than a short story. I will have to make sure I check book length more on future picks. That being said, the story is interesting enough to keep you reading although I feel more could have been added to really showcase the struggle for her in giving up her baby. At times, I felt it was glossed over and I wondered if she was nervous about really allowing emotions to be brought to the surface, even though she mentions crying a lot I still felt something was missing.
On a side note, it would be interesting to follow this up with the other side of the story from the adopted parents point of view on the situation. Adopting a child is hard for all involved and at least this is a glimpse into how a birth mother struggles with the choice to give her child up.
On a side note, it would be interesting to follow this up with the other side of the story from the adopted parents point of view on the situation. Adopting a child is hard for all involved and at least this is a glimpse into how a birth mother struggles with the choice to give her child up.
February 20, 2025
This is a short autobiographical piece from a queer birthmother and her experiences around an open adoption involving her son Leo. Mariah became pregnant as a young theater girl in Queens and decided early on a course of action. The emotions fluctuated over the ten months it took to gestate, birth, and sign paperwork. Things became complicated again when the biracial dads moved across the States to California showing how dependent she was on their choices for access. I think the fluctuations in her mood, imposter syndrome doubts, topic sensitivity, and eventual identity acceptance are relatable issues. There is a balance of sadness and doubt with love and conviction. However, there is not much to the tale in the way of depth, specifics, and examples. Yes, telling a personal experience is already showing great vulnerability but there is a feeling of glossing over the self-reflection and hedging the emotions as you read the prose. It’s not unpleasant but it isn’t much of a story either.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2019
I read this short story for free on Amazon Prime, and I’m so glad I did.
Mariah MacCarthy tells her own personal story of how she chose to give up her baby for adoption because she simply could not afford to keep him and still pursue her passion in the arts. She makes the impossible decision between keeping the child for her own benefit and giving him up to have a better life.
Her honest, heartfelt story reveals the ups and downs of open adoption – being able to see and know your child while knowing that they belong to someone else. It was a tiny glimpse into an experience that is impossible to imagine without going through it.
Mariah MacCarthy tells her own personal story of how she chose to give up her baby for adoption because she simply could not afford to keep him and still pursue her passion in the arts. She makes the impossible decision between keeping the child for her own benefit and giving him up to have a better life.
“It wasn’t that I didn’t want to take my son home. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to hold him forever. I did. I wanted that with every single cell of my entire being. But I also wanted my son to be okay. And I wasn’t sure if he’d be okay if I raised him.”
Her honest, heartfelt story reveals the ups and downs of open adoption – being able to see and know your child while knowing that they belong to someone else. It was a tiny glimpse into an experience that is impossible to imagine without going through it.
May 23, 2019
This is an important book to have been written. It is an honest account of a woman who chooses to adopt out her baby rather than keep the child in a financially compromised life. She is a lesbian and specifically chooses a gay-men couple to adopt her son. It is an open adoption, meaning, she continues to be a part of her son's life as he grows. The whole process and life choice is hard but she concludes she wouldn't do it any differently now that she knows. The biggest surprise to me is that this is a "short story" - a 30 minute read.
May 23, 2022
I picked this up as a quick read to pass some time whilst I waited for dinner to cook and I’m so glad I did.
It broke my heart and glued it back together in half an hour.
Putting your child up for adoption is understandably heartbreaking for anyone, but to get a story like this where it’s decided from the beginning, this book looks more “behind the scenes” and is wrapped up in a short, heart-tugging, bundle of love.
It broke my heart and glued it back together in half an hour.
Putting your child up for adoption is understandably heartbreaking for anyone, but to get a story like this where it’s decided from the beginning, this book looks more “behind the scenes” and is wrapped up in a short, heart-tugging, bundle of love.
December 4, 2022
Mariah MacCarthy gives an honest account on her feelings before, during, and after the open adoption of her son, Leo. I greatly appreciate the honesty and complexity that comes with open adoption, where she opts two gay dads and expresses moments of doubt. With many heartfelt moments in a difficult decision, I loved that the book ended with "I knew I wouldn’t take any of it back".
Only downfall to this book is the fact that I wanted more from it! 20 pages were not enough!
Only downfall to this book is the fact that I wanted more from it! 20 pages were not enough!
May 20, 2019
Love hurts
I chose the rating because the book allowed readers to understand why adoption was the girls choice I felt the story was so believable as it also told about the love relation That develops with the birthing mom as she realizes she is not the dominate parent and in order to see the child she needed to understand her boundaries
I chose the rating because the book allowed readers to understand why adoption was the girls choice I felt the story was so believable as it also told about the love relation That develops with the birthing mom as she realizes she is not the dominate parent and in order to see the child she needed to understand her boundaries
May 22, 2019
I didn’t realize this was a short story and not a book. In a few pages, the author’s very honest and open description of having a baby and agreeing to an open adoption and living with that decision provided a welcome perspective. There was more I wanted to know, and couldn’t get from the short story format.
June 28, 2019
Long distance love
Very well written A really gut wrenching story that many mothers are forced to go through, when they are not able to raise their child themselves. By thinking of the child more than themselves they’re able to bless another couple with the love of this child. But Sentenced to live with their pain from this decision. Not something I could live with.
Very well written A really gut wrenching story that many mothers are forced to go through, when they are not able to raise their child themselves. By thinking of the child more than themselves they’re able to bless another couple with the love of this child. But Sentenced to live with their pain from this decision. Not something I could live with.
June 30, 2019
Just finished an Amazon original story; My Boy, Their Child, by Mariah MacCarthy. It was about the open adoption of Mariah’s son Leo. Through the story you could feel the way the decision to put Leo up for adoption tugged at her until she made her final decision. In my opinion, she did a good thing for her son.
May 12, 2019
This book is not what I expected. It was interesting to see how an open adoption worked for this author, to see her hurts and her joys, but I felt it didn't go into those feelings deep enough. It was also much shorter than I expected. I wish her luck with her writing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews