Adoption

[Cindy AL]

I may have missed another thread on this task. Any ideas for adoption books? No spoilers please. I remember loving The Family Nobody Wanted as a kid, but I imagine it would be rather saccharine now.

[Bridgit]

I am going to read Trail of Crumbs Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home by Kim Sunee. I meant to use it for the Summer Challenge for either the France or the Cooking taks.

It seems really interesting - a memoir about a Korean baby abandoned when she was three years old, who was adopted by a New Orleans couple and is now living in France. She is a gourmet chef and it has a bunch of really fancy recipes throughout the book.

[Krista]

Would The Memory Keeper's Daughter work for this?

There isn't a formal adoption --- but it's a GREAT book!

[Alice]

Krista Cynthia has said that it has to be a formal adoption where it is stated that an actual adoption has taken place.

[Krista]

Hmmm - okay. Thanks. I thought somewhere she'd said that for one book (Victorian, perhaps?) that the person was referred to as a 'ward' and that was okay. I've already read The Memory Keeper's Daughter.

[Rora]

I picked Child of a Rainless Year by Jane Lindskold.

[Bonnie]

Anne of Green Gables, of course!

[Leslie]

I just got Rubyfruit Jungle from the library as I'm trying to pick up some last minute points for the summer challenge - the back of the book says that the main character is adopted as an infant, so it should work for this task. She's also a lesbian, so it would work for Wendy's task as well.

[Julia]

I am planning on using Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. I absolutely adore this movie! It was one of my favorites when I was younger. I just recently realized it was a book and am super excited to read it.

[Lyn (Readinghearts)]

My pick for this task is a book called Somebody's Baby by Elaine Kagan. It is a story about an adopted women's search for her birth parents, but it is not listed on GRs yet. There is a book on GR with that name, but it is by a different author and is about baby stealing, not adoption.

[Patricia]

My pick for this task is Love in the Driest Season A Family Memoir by Neely Tucker. Someone else had mentioned this title on goodreads and it seemed interesting to me.

[Kim]

I think I picked out Then She Found Meby Elinor Lipman by looking at some selections on the 'plans' thread.

[Alice]

I am reading Digging to America by Anne Tyler. This book starts with two babies being adopted from Korea by two American couples so certainly fits the task.

[Katie]

I'm going to use The King of Slippery Falls for this task.

The description for Kristin Chenoweth's autobiography, A Little Bit Wicked Life, Love, and Faith in Stages, says that she addresses her adoption so maybe that would work, too.

[Sara ♥]

Just thought I'd say that I was planning to read Kimchi & Calamari by Rose Kent. I think it will be fascinating...

[Beth F]

If anyone is a fan of Nora Roberts, the main character in Sea Swept is adopted (according to the blurb).

I've only read a couple Nora Roberts books in the past and wasn't overly crazy about them, however, I am a reluctant owner of this book so plan to use it for this task.

I am physically incapable of getting rid of a book I haven't read yet and this one falls into that category, heh.

But anyway, yeah, if anybody likes Nora, here's another option.

[Krista]

Alice wrote: "I am reading Digging to America by Anne Tyler. This book starts with two babies being adopted from Korea by two American couples so certainly fits the task."

Wonderful! Digging to America is on my bookshelf right now. Yippee -- I've found book I actually own that I can use for this task. :-)

[Candace]

There's a children's book called Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born.

[JSou]

I thought I saw this on another thread, but now I can't find it. I was just wanting to make sure The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver would work for this task. I thought I read somewhere that there was a formal adoption, but just wanted to make sure with someone who's read it before! :)

[BJ Rose]

Beth(MN) wrote: "If anyone is a fan of Nora Roberts, the main character in Sea Swept is adopted (according to the blurb).

I've only read a couple Nora Roberts books in the past and wasn't overly crazy about them, however, I am a reluctant owner of this book so plan to use it for this task. ..."

Beth, if you decide to use this book for the challenge, I'd love to hear what you thought of it.
I thought the Chesapeake Bay series was well-done. It's based on a childless couple who had so much love to share that they adopted homeless and abused boys. The books begin when the boys are men, and the father has been critically injured in a car crash (mother died several years earlier), and asks the 3 brothers to care for another troubled young boy he had just brought home.

Now that I think about it, this could be a multi-task series.
The brothers take up boat-building, & that's in all the books, altho Cam & Ethan (bks 1&2) are the boat-builders.
Rising Tides (bk. 2) - Ethan is a fisherman & spends lots of time on the sea, so that might work for #5.3
Anna in Sea Swept works with Child Services, so that could work for some for Roseann's Task
Philip in Inner Harbor is in advertising, so again perhaps Roseann's Task, either for occupation or dream job.
Sybill in book 3 is a writer and behavioral researcher -

Unless I find something else, I'll be doing a re-read of Sea Swept for the adoption task.
If you don't like it, I'll survive somehow - maybe by re-reading all 3 books!:)
Guess you can tell I liked them.

[Lyn (Readinghearts)]

BJRose - One of my favorite of her series also. You know there is a 4th one in that series called Chesapeake Blue about the youngest one, Seth, when he grows up. I actually might read this one for the adoption task instead of the one I had picked, since this one has been on my TBR shelf forever. Thanks for reminding me.

And now she has written two paranormal series, which I also love. I just started the first one and am liking it a lot so far.

[Rachel Lee]

BJ Rose wrote: "Beth(MN) wrote: "If anyone is a fan of Nora Roberts, the main character in Sea Swept is adopted (according to the blurb).

I've only read a couple Nora Roberts books in the past and w..."


I agree. This series is one of my favorites from Nora Roberts. I hope you like it.

[Beth F]

Hm...that is actually good to know!

I think I've only read 2 (or maybe 3?) Nora Roberts books over the years, I honestly don't remember much except they weren't really my thing. I've been somewhat dreading the few that are languishing on my shelf unread so all your positive comments give me some hope that Sea Swept won't make my eyes bleed. :)~

[BJ Rose]

Lyn wrote: "BJRose - One of my favorite of her series also. You know there is a 4th one in that series called Chesapeake Blue about the youngest one, Seth, when he grows up. I actually might read this one f..."

Yes, and I have all 4. I mentioned the original 3 that she wrote as a trilogy because they were all about coping with the loss of their parents and raising the young Seth. Chesapeake Blue was good, but the first 3 were great. There's still a lot of the bonding of the brothers in CB that I liked so well in the others.

[Lyn (Readinghearts)]

BJ Rose - See, you can tell I have only read the first 3, huh? Do you think the 4th will fit the adoption challenge?

[BJ Rose]

Beth(MN) wrote: "Hm...that is actually good to know!
I've been somewhat dreading the few that are languishing on my shelf unread..."

OK, tell us what they are, and we'll give you a (somewhat biased!) comment on each:)

I love a lot of what NR has written, but IMO she's written a stinker or two, and some so-so ones.

[BJ Rose]

Lyn wrote: "BJ Rose - See, you can tell I have only read the first 3, huh? Do you think the 4th will fit the adoption challenge?"

Yes, they were all adopted, and each book has some backstory of the boy's miserable life before adoption, and then the family bonding and, of course, the love interest!

[Sara ♥]

Beth(MN) wrote: "I think I've only read 2 (or maybe 3?) Nora Roberts books over the years, I honestly don't remember much except they weren't really my thing. I've been somewhat dreading the few that are languishing on my shelf unread so all your positive comments give me some hope that Sea Swept won't make my eyes bleed. :)~ "

Do your eyes bleed often? If so, you should probably see your doctor! ;) But seriously... I've only read 3 Nora Roberts books (the Circle trilogy), and her writing style is much different from other books I've read... It took me a while to get into them...

[Katie]

Jessica wrote: "I thought I saw this on another thread, but now I can't find it. I was just wanting to make sure The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver would work for this task. I thought I read somewh..."

Hi Jessica, I'm using The Bean Trees. I asked the same question, which you can find at the bottom of the help folder as "Adoption Challenge (Kingsolver)", but I got two different answers. I decided they're probably both right.

***SPOILERS***
Petra said:
Katie, I highly recommend reading Turtle's story.
However, she isn't officially adopted. Her mother gives her to Taylor in an unconventional way.

Kelly said:
Hi Katie,
Turtle is legally adopted, although with a little fudging, at the end of The Bean Trees.

[Leslie]

***SPOILERS***
To chime in on Bean Trees without giving too much away - there are adoption papers. It is done as a formal adoption. The method is legally questionable, but the outcome is official adoption records.
***SPOILERS***

[Katie]

Leslie wrote: "***SPOILERS***
To chime in on Bean Trees without giving too much away - there are adoption papers. It is done as a formal adoption. The method is legally questionable, but the outcome is official a..."

Thanks for the confirmation.

[Cait]

Two more to add to the list.
A Theory of Relativity (this is what I'm reading)
Girls in Trouble A Novel

[Teresa]

When the Black Girl SingsI picked this one

[Sara ♥]

Teresa wrote: "When the Black Girl SingsI picked this one "

This book looks really good!

[JSou]

Thanks Katie & Leslie!

[Katie]

Leslie wrote: "***SPOILERS***
To chime in on Bean Trees without giving too much away - there are adoption papers. It is done as a formal adoption. The method is legally questionable, but the outcome is official a..."

Hmmm. This was the book I was also hoping to use for the challenge, but wasn't sure if it would count. I think I'll add it back to my list.

[Jennifer]

Brother and Sister A Novel by Joanna Trollope would work for this task. I read it a few years ago and enjoyed it.

[Teresa]

Sara wrote: "Teresa wrote: "When the Black Girl SingsI picked this one "

This book looks really good!"

I hope so, My normal(almost only) genre is mystery, so this challenge is stretching me : )

[Krista]

Teresa wrote: "When the Black Girl SingsI picked this one "

This DOES look good, and looks like it could also work for the 'Student' and 'Coming of Age' tasks. Gotta love those versatile books!

[Teresa]

Krista wrote: "Teresa wrote: "When the Black Girl SingsI picked this one "

This DOES look good, and looks like it could also work for the 'Student' and 'Coming of Age' tasks. Gotta love those v..."

oh never thought to classify books for different tasks just in case ..................... something else would pop up LOL

My tbr list just keeps growing and growing and growing

[Sara ♥]

Teresa wrote: "Sara wrote: "Teresa wrote: "When the Black Girl SingsI picked this one "

This book looks really good!"

I hope so, My normal(almost only) genre is mystery, so this challenge is stretching me :) "

I know THAT feeling! In the past three challenges, I've read so many great books that I never would have DREAMED of reading otherwise! They're great in different ways than my usual genres (YA, chick lit, and historical romance)... A couple that I think about a lot were What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew about Judaism (made me want to write a similar book about my religion!) and Can You Trust a Tomato in January? (for different reasons). Totally abnormal reads for me, but both were so fascinating!

[Melissa]

Candace wrote: "There's a children's book called Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born. "

This is a children's book that is only 40 pages long. The task specifically says a novel or a non fictional book.

Does anyone know if this will really count? I thought it had to be at least 100 pages?

[Katie]

Well, it is a 5-point task, so it doesn't have to be 100 pages:
6. Short books (100 pages or less) should be used sparingly and only count for the 5 point tasks (unless otherwise stated).

I don't think a children's picture book qualifies as a novel, though.

[Michelle]

Just for clarification...does the adoption have to take place during the book or can the character have been adopted sometime in the past (such as in one of the later Anne of Green Gable books)?

[El]

Michelle wrote: "Just for clarification...does the adoption have to take place during the book or can the character have been adopted sometime in the past (such as in one of the later Anne of Green Gable books)?"

Michelle, I think the ruling is that as long as it's stated that there was, is, or will be an official adoption, it would work. I think they okay'ed the Green Gable books.

[Carrie]

Maybe this would be stretching it for the adoption, but I was wondering if The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman would work? It's a bit of a twist on the idea of adoption (as one review I saw on Amazon said Gaiman was inspired by Kipling's The Jungle Book.

Thanks, and if it doesn't, I'll see if I can make it work for something else.

[Melissa]

Kari ♪ wrote: "Maybe this would be stretching it for the adoption, but I was wondering if The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman would work? It's a bit of a twist on the idea of adoptio..."

Kari,

I used it for that same task once I saw someone else use it a few days ago. :)

[Carrie]

Melissa wrote: "Kari ♪ wrote: "Maybe this would be stretching it for the adoption, but I was wondering if The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman would work? It's a bit of a twist on the ..."

Thanks, Melissa :) Did you like the book?

[[deleted user]]

Doesn't Nora Robert's trilogy Born (Born in Fire, Born in Ice, Born in Shame) have something to do with adoption?

[Usako]

The Face on the Milk Carton...I didn't realize this one was a book! I remember seeing the TV movie but wow!