I Met Myself in October: A Memoir of Belonging

by Jacob Taylor-Mosquera

I Met Myself in October: A Memoir of Belonging is a thought-provoking true adventure discussing international/transracial adoption and what it means to belong to two countries and two families.

Taylor-Mosquera weaves together the intricacies of struggling to belong to the Black and Latinx communities in the United States while enjoying white privilege without being white. He masters the Spanish language and goes on live television in Colombia to find his biological family twenty years after they learn of his secret birth. The tensions that arise therein are magical and disturbing, with each page offering intimate details about an international quest to truly belong.

Genres: Adoption, Memoir

ebook

Published June 20, 2020

About the author

Born in Cali, Colombia, Taylor-Mosquera is adopted to the Pacific Northwest in the United States after seven months in an orphanage in the same city. His biological mother keeps his birth a secret from her family. Twenty years later, Taylor-Mosquera returns to Colombia to search for her. After a taxi ride and a live television interview, he makes contact with a family who did not know of his existence. He does this while learning Spanish and navigating what it means to be Black both in the U.S. and Colombia, while also struggling with trying to belong to two very different socio-economic realities. I Met Myself in October: A Memoir of Belonging is his debut book about his journeys back to Colombia and culminates with the developing search for his biological father, who is not aware he exists.

Reviews

[Isabelle de Roux · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! "I Met Myself in October: A Memoir of Belonging" is an intimate tale about the author's search for his biological family, his country of birth and in a sense his own identity and place in the world. Not at all what a person who isn't directly involved in the adoption proces would suspect. It's not a fairy tale or Disney story where everything runs smoothly, there's a happy reunion and instant connection/trust/love with long lost family members and relationships are automatically (re)established, due to the suposed fact that blood is thicker than water. No, this is a story rooted in real life so naturally there're ups and downs. It's both funny and painfully sad and besides the joy and success the author experiences, he's also honest about his doubts, frustrations and dissapointments. I thought it was really moving and the questions that are posed with regards to family, loyalty and racial/ethnic/national identity made me think about my own situation. So it packed a real punch and in the end I was left wanting to know more. I need a sequel!

[Adele Restrepo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivid and captivating

This is a memoir I did not want to put down. What an incredible story! Jake’s detailed narrative takes you through all the emotions of reconnecting with his Colombian family and roots. Although it isn’t the main focus of the memoir, one learns about the socioeconomic reality for low-income Colombians and Afro-Colombians, too. I appreciated the complexity of intersectional identities that Jake presents in such an engaging and heartfelt way. Finally, as some who is considering adoption, this book opened a window into a generous man’s life and experience as an adoptee. Jake is careful to clarify that his is not a universal experience, but what is universal about his story is all the love he describes giving and receiving from those who have had the fortune of crossing his path.

[Bryanna Plog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of memoirs and wasn't sure what to expect here, but was drawn to the story about Colombia. The true story is well-written and cinematic in scope, the narrative moves along, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen yet. But there is depth to this book too, asking us all about questions of identity, and showing and teaching me much about adoptees. Highly recommended.

[Ana Santelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I Met Myself in October” is a beautify written memoir of Jacob’s personal journal to learn about himself and his family. The detail of his journey kept me engaged the whole book, while being immersed in the beauty of his home country. When I finished, I wanted to learn more. I want to know about Jacob and his family now. I am hoping for a sequel. Thank you for sharing your amazing story, Jacob!

[Paige Beaty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a Colombian adoptee’s journey to find his birth family and figure out where he belongs. I devoured this one! Such a fascinating story. I loved being invited in to his journey, as a person who was adopted and HAS adopted. Highly recommend this one!

[Tani Garberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting story about how one can go on a journey with preconceived ideas about how the journey will end but have it go sideways instead. Jake did a great job expressing the difficulties he had with the search for his biological mother and the difficulties he had once he found her. This is a good story for adoptees to read to get an insight as to what the search might mete out.