[BrandyHagz]

I don't have my book here at work with me - but I'm more than half way through it!

I thought we could start our discussion with some opinions. If you've started the book, what were some of your first thougts?

Did you think the book was just another 'angry' adoption book or were you really drawn in by the personal story and information shared?

Share your thoughts!

[BrandyHagz]

The first impression for me was that it might be just another ‘evil adoption’ book…but the more I read (after the first page or two) the more I liked it. While it does focus on the stories where adoption wasn’t the desire outcome, but was the forced path – it still offers some views from the other side…which I think is important, because not all birth mothers in that era felt pressure or were deceived.

So far, I feel really touched by the different stories being told and I really like that Ann went out and talked to these birth mothers face to face.

I also like that she shared some statistics and only reiterated that birthmothers are not all hopped up drug addicts with a sex addiction.

I haven’t been as impressed with some of the terminology used, however…but I won’t let that impact my overall feel for the book.

[BrandyHagz]

Hmm...so I'm the only one reading?

[SchmennaLeigh]

The book is sitting on my front porch at home, just delivered by UPS today. I'll let you know tomorrow. Thanks for the warning about the language. That's one of my pet peeves and I like being prepared... to be ticked off.

[mlassi]

I read the book and really liked how she went beyond the usual one paragraph that most books have about an indivudual birthmother's experience. It made me sad too because my birthmother to this day had not told anyone about me. I wish she would read it

[SchmennaLeigh]

My first impression (read three chapters before bed last night) is one of awe. I remember shortly after I placed and I was bebopping around adoption sites on the internet. I heard stories of women who had been forced to place and I thought to myself, "What rubbish." I was young in my firstmotherhood and only saw the positives of adoption. I didn't understand the history of the women who came before me. Since then, I've met women like the ones interviewed in this book and, still, this book saddens me to no end. Not in a negative way. In a way that I want to wake up the entire world as to the wrongs done to these women.

I look forward to continuing to read the book. With the cover on. At work. *GASP*

[shadowdove]

Brandy....

""I haven’t been as impressed with some of the terminology used, however""

Could you please clarify what you mean by the above? What 'terminology' were you not impressed by? Just to let you know, there is very little to none editing of the 'oral histories' in the book from the audio tapes. I myself was astounded that my excerpts (used in the book) from my audio tapes are virtually word for word..

Christine