e-mail
The first book I ever read on open adoption was “Dear Birthmother, Thank You for Our Baby,” by Kathleen Silber. It has been revised several times since I read it some 20 years ago. I was working in a very closed agency (as they all were in those days, we didn’t know any better). The scales fell from my eyes! The book is a series of letters from birth parents and adoptive parents to each other. Interspersed with the correspondence, the authors discuss the myths vs. the truths of adoption, open adoption in particular. This book remains a good “starter” book for both birth parents and adoptive parents.
Jim Gritter has written two very good books. Jim is the former adoption director of a Catholic Charities agency in Michigan. The first, “Adoption Without Fear,” is another good beginner book. Adoptive parents recount their stories of open adoptions. Everyone loves true life stories. There are many short vignettes that illustrate “all sorts and conditions” of open adoption. This is a nice read for couples and birth parents starting their adoption journey.
Jim also authored “The Spirit of Open Adoption.” I think the book is very well written and goes beyond surface concerns. He addresses some of the philosophical underpinnings of open adoption. He was quite perceptive in predicting the bold and repugnant commercialization of adoption. This book is an excellent resource for professionals in adoption work, but is also good for those on the “graduate level” of adoption books.
Finally,I would recommend “The Open Adoption Experience,” by Lois Melina. This is a practical one, with many concrete strategies for challeges that may arise for both birth and adoptive parents.
Whew! And these are just a few books,there are so many I have not wriiten about in this blog. What books do you like best, what has been most useful, and which ones would you recommend?
