Adopting a child is one of the most transformative things you can do. As a result, it’s not uncommon to want to share the story of your adoption journey with others. Adoptive parents may do so to inspire prospective families or because it’s simply a part of their family narrative. However, it’s important to consider your audience when telling your story.
Adoption stories often play out in narrative tropes of good versus evil and hero versus villain, but they should also be grounded in reality. People who adopt often come from complex histories and struggle with lingering traumas. This is particularly true for domestic and international adoptions, especially those of older children or children with special needs.
In this heartwarming tale, a young boy waits with anticipation for his sister to arrive from China. With simple text and beautiful illustrations, this book reveals the joy of adoption and the importance of family connections.
While the story focuses on a little girl and her parents, it’s also a tribute to her birth mother who has always loved and supported her. Based on the author’s own experiences, this book is a powerful and poignant reflection of the challenges that both adoptive and birth parents face.
As TV and movies wake up to the complexities of family, there is hope for the representation of adoption in fiction narratives. Series like Anne With an ‘E’, Parenthood, Glee and The Fosters are pushing back against the notion of adoption as tragedy and are showing how families are forming through different means.
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