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Practically Still a Virgin: An Adoption Memoir
Practically Still a Virgin is the riveting memoir of a fifteen-year-old adoptee’s rape —and the pregnancy that changed her life. During Alaska’s rough-and-tumble 1970s oil boom, a time when prostitution, violence, and lawlessness reigned, Monica Hall rebels against her strict Catholic parents in a downward spiral of delinquency. Overwhelmed by guilt and shame when the unthinkable happens, Hall is forced to make impossible choices. Will she keep her rapist’s identity a secret and defy her parents when they demand to know who fathered her baby? Will Hall, an adoptee herself, crumble under pressure and relinquish her only known blood relative for adoption? Will she ever feel the sense of belonging she craves by reuniting with the mother who gave her away?
Adopted during infancy, Hall’s childhood is marked by trauma and dysfunction. As a teenager, she dulls her pain with risky behavior and petty crime. In adulthood, she turns to drugs and alcohol. This gutsy memoir chronicles her decades-long quest for identity, healing, and redemption. As she uncovers secrets and searches for her roots, she makes a shocking discovery about her baby’s father, smashing the narrative that shaped her reality for decades.
Hall tells of her troubled youth with candor and compassion for herself and everyone around her. Her story will resonate with anyone who knows loss, secrets, and family dysfunction.
Practically Still a Virgin is both harrowing and heart-warming—a must-read for any reader who enjoys honest and vulnerable stories of survival, courage, wisdom, and love.
Adopted during infancy, Hall’s childhood is marked by trauma and dysfunction. As a teenager, she dulls her pain with risky behavior and petty crime. In adulthood, she turns to drugs and alcohol. This gutsy memoir chronicles her decades-long quest for identity, healing, and redemption. As she uncovers secrets and searches for her roots, she makes a shocking discovery about her baby’s father, smashing the narrative that shaped her reality for decades.
Hall tells of her troubled youth with candor and compassion for herself and everyone around her. Her story will resonate with anyone who knows loss, secrets, and family dysfunction.
Practically Still a Virgin is both harrowing and heart-warming—a must-read for any reader who enjoys honest and vulnerable stories of survival, courage, wisdom, and love.
- GenresAdoption
346 pages, Paperback
Published March 22, 2024
9 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 20, 2024
This book is both thought provoking and a wild ride! The author, Monica Hall, uses intimate details of her life story to educate readers on the experiences of those connected to adoption. From her unique dual-role adoption perspective, she delves deeply into the feelings around tough issues related to relinquishent, adoption, sexual assualt, and addiction,and their complicated intersections. Her story is gripping and compelling for the reader. Even though many of the topics are weighty, Monica manages to provide moments of humor and joy that keep the reader above the surface and quickly turning pages. Her writing style is no-nonsense, and yet, lyrical in many of the passages. This is Monica's first book and it definitely packs a punch! Many readers will connect with the book due to its various themes. I look forward to future books from this author!
March 23, 2024
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which is an complete honor. Although adoption is not part of my past, there were so many relatable parts of this book that are so well expressed in Monica's writing. I cried, I laughed, and I related to the thirst within to know ones self and to find truth. There are unexpected turns and twists, just like life. This book will resonate and help to heal many.
March 22, 2024
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for posting an honest review. Everyone has a story to tell and Monica poured her life into the pages of her book by sharing the adversities she faced. Additionally she shares her personal perspectives in a raw, vulnerable and authentic voice. As a fellow Adoptee I also appreciated her willingness to speak about the buried pain many of us carry in life coupled with education on the ever remaining archaic and unconstitutional practice of restriciting and denying adopted people access to their original birth certificates. Thank you for sharing your story.
March 23, 2024
Monica Hall’s story is incredibly captivating, honest and emotional. I empathized with her at many points throughout the story as she poignantly describes core events of her life. While I am not an adoptee or birth mother, her story was nonetheless meaningful for me and gave me a lot to think about, including my perspective about adoption which has undergone some significant readjustments thanks to this book. While the author’s experience has clearly framed her own perspective and life, she nonetheless leaves plenty of room for the readers to form their own opinions. Monica’s book is a wonderful read for anyone wanting to heal from past traumas, hurts, or find compassion for those that have. A beautiful story!
April 3, 2024
Monica's narrative is incredibly authentic which delves into the depths of human experience while reminding us that each individual possesses a unique and significant story. Her candid portrayal resonates profoundly, stirring contemplation on life's trials and the quest for resolution. I commend Monica for her bravery in shedding light on her journey of triumph over long-held hardships.
April 1, 2024
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for posting an honest review.
As an adoptee myself I am thrilled there’s another voice contributing to the conversation about relinquishment, adoption and reunion, especially from the dual perspective of adoptee and first mother. Neither adoption nor reunion is a fairy tale, as this memoir reveals. Monica’s is a gritty and intriguing story told with bravery and honesty. Readable and engaging, the book has the feel of an ongoing conversation with a good friend who doesn’t pull punches. It’s an introspective narrative of the spectrum of emotions in adoption and reunion, the quest to discover one’s own history and to reconnect with genetic mirrors. It’s also a testimony to recovery that offers hope and inspiration. Monica’s memoir helps me believe adoptees can learn to relate to their unique grief in healthy ways and that reunions are worth pursuing for the unexpected connections that can come from them. I highly recommend this memoir to any member of the adoption triad, but even moreso to those not connected to adoption because Monica shows the complexity and lifelong impact of family separation that the non-adopted rarely think about.
As an adoptee myself I am thrilled there’s another voice contributing to the conversation about relinquishment, adoption and reunion, especially from the dual perspective of adoptee and first mother. Neither adoption nor reunion is a fairy tale, as this memoir reveals. Monica’s is a gritty and intriguing story told with bravery and honesty. Readable and engaging, the book has the feel of an ongoing conversation with a good friend who doesn’t pull punches. It’s an introspective narrative of the spectrum of emotions in adoption and reunion, the quest to discover one’s own history and to reconnect with genetic mirrors. It’s also a testimony to recovery that offers hope and inspiration. Monica’s memoir helps me believe adoptees can learn to relate to their unique grief in healthy ways and that reunions are worth pursuing for the unexpected connections that can come from them. I highly recommend this memoir to any member of the adoption triad, but even moreso to those not connected to adoption because Monica shows the complexity and lifelong impact of family separation that the non-adopted rarely think about.
June 11, 2025
Insightful, inspiring, eye-opening, tear-jerking, sobering, incredible story of human trauma, healing, and transformation. A brutal glimpse into the worst of humanity and the story of decades of the ups and downs of walking out of that pit of despair.
For me, this was the right story at the right time… courage, hope, and love are infectious, and this story is a strong dose of all the good stuff. If you’re going through a dark time, or you know others who are, I’d especially recommend it.
I hope this is turned into a movie or miniseries. It’s so, so good. Read it. Or get the Audible version… the author reads it herself, which is cool.
For me, this was the right story at the right time… courage, hope, and love are infectious, and this story is a strong dose of all the good stuff. If you’re going through a dark time, or you know others who are, I’d especially recommend it.
I hope this is turned into a movie or miniseries. It’s so, so good. Read it. Or get the Audible version… the author reads it herself, which is cool.
May 20, 2024
Couldn't put this book down. The first part laid the ground for the "reunion" of Monica's birth mother and family and own daughter. My favorite part was when she had been reunited with the daughter she had given up for adoption. They prayed the rosary together, and she wondered if her daughter had heard her praying the rosary during pregnancy and felt the mother/child bond before birth. I think it's possible, but even if it isn't, is a very loving, hopeful thought.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2024
What can I say about Practically Still a Virgin, Monica Hall’s ‘adoption memoir,’ a book bursting with vivid details of its author’s traumatic early life in the boomtown of late-20th century Anchorage? At first, the title, a click-baiting phrase if ever there was one, turned me off. Practically Still a Virgin: impossible! Either you are or you aren’t!
But then I read the book.
The title is what the 15-year-old rape victim Monica thought, and told her friends, as she grappled with her possible pregnancy after missing several periods. No, she couldn’t possibly be pregnant, she argued, until tests proved otherwise, because she’d not been sexually active long enough and not with anyone she cared about!
Its attention-grabbing qualities notwithstanding, Practically Still a Virgin is actually the cry from the heart of a very young and confused girl, an adoptee from a foster home in Canada, who ended up bearing and relinquishing her first child, just as her own birth mother had done. The inter-generational trauma goes unacknowledged by anyone involved – until Hall, as an adult, is able to transcend her sorrowful early life and become the successful woman she’d always longed to be.
Be warned: this book isn’t a true memoir. Rather it’s the fast-paced autobiography of a child who came perilously close to becoming a throwaway. Adopted into a profoundly Catholic home by parents determined to raise her to their exacting standards of purity and religiosity, she felt abandoned again when they adopted her special-needs brother but expressed no understanding of her passionate feelings and no empathy for her search for a stable identity. She eventually rebelled against their stifling rules, and her father’s ambiguous cruelties.
Practically Still a Virgin is rich and deep, packed to the brim with characters and incidents, but it left me with questions about how Hall managed to get her tumultuous life together, how she managed to transcend her past, to recover and heal. She promises to answer these questions in a soon-to-be published second part of her story, a book that is, as yet, untitled.
But then I read the book.
The title is what the 15-year-old rape victim Monica thought, and told her friends, as she grappled with her possible pregnancy after missing several periods. No, she couldn’t possibly be pregnant, she argued, until tests proved otherwise, because she’d not been sexually active long enough and not with anyone she cared about!
Its attention-grabbing qualities notwithstanding, Practically Still a Virgin is actually the cry from the heart of a very young and confused girl, an adoptee from a foster home in Canada, who ended up bearing and relinquishing her first child, just as her own birth mother had done. The inter-generational trauma goes unacknowledged by anyone involved – until Hall, as an adult, is able to transcend her sorrowful early life and become the successful woman she’d always longed to be.
Be warned: this book isn’t a true memoir. Rather it’s the fast-paced autobiography of a child who came perilously close to becoming a throwaway. Adopted into a profoundly Catholic home by parents determined to raise her to their exacting standards of purity and religiosity, she felt abandoned again when they adopted her special-needs brother but expressed no understanding of her passionate feelings and no empathy for her search for a stable identity. She eventually rebelled against their stifling rules, and her father’s ambiguous cruelties.
Practically Still a Virgin is rich and deep, packed to the brim with characters and incidents, but it left me with questions about how Hall managed to get her tumultuous life together, how she managed to transcend her past, to recover and heal. She promises to answer these questions in a soon-to-be published second part of her story, a book that is, as yet, untitled.
May 24, 2024
An Honest Journey Through Adoption and Resilience: A Review of Monica Hall's "Practically Still a Virgin"
Monica Hall's memoir, "Practically Still a Virgin," is a deeply personal exploration of her journey, marked by vulnerability, resilience, and redemption. Suitable for middle school readers and up, Hall’s narrative offers an intimate glimpse into her experiences with adoption, addiction, and the quest for identity.
From the start, I was drawn into Hall’s world, feeling her struggles and cheering her triumphs. Her descriptive storytelling made the memoir unputdownable. Hall's life story is a testament to her self-determination and strength. She candidly shares her struggles with drugs, alcohol, and toxic relationships. At 15, she faced an unplanned pregnancy, leading to the heart-wrenching decision to place her baby girl for adoption, mirroring her own experience as an adoptee.
Hall's narrative intricately weaves her dual experiences within the adoption constellation. Growing up in Anchorage and moving to California, she explores themes like religion, social status, and ethnicity, making it a multifaceted tale about motherhood, friendship, and self-discovery. Her vivid portrayal of the people she encounters adds depth to her story.
Reading Hall’s memoir, I was in awe of her courage and inspired by her determination. Her honesty and vulnerability make her story incredibly relatable. As a fellow adoptee, I found myself deeply moved by her recounting of relinquishment and reunion. I cried a lot, touched by Hall's bravery and selflessness in sharing her story with the world.
"Practically Still a Virgin" is a compelling and relatable story that I highly recommend. Monica Hall's memoir is more than an account of overcoming adversity; it is a powerful narrative of hope, love, and redemption. I eagerly await Monica Hall’s follow-up work. This remarkable book will touch your heart and inspire your soul. It was a great read, and I see a second book in the works!
Monica Hall's memoir, "Practically Still a Virgin," is a deeply personal exploration of her journey, marked by vulnerability, resilience, and redemption. Suitable for middle school readers and up, Hall’s narrative offers an intimate glimpse into her experiences with adoption, addiction, and the quest for identity.
From the start, I was drawn into Hall’s world, feeling her struggles and cheering her triumphs. Her descriptive storytelling made the memoir unputdownable. Hall's life story is a testament to her self-determination and strength. She candidly shares her struggles with drugs, alcohol, and toxic relationships. At 15, she faced an unplanned pregnancy, leading to the heart-wrenching decision to place her baby girl for adoption, mirroring her own experience as an adoptee.
Hall's narrative intricately weaves her dual experiences within the adoption constellation. Growing up in Anchorage and moving to California, she explores themes like religion, social status, and ethnicity, making it a multifaceted tale about motherhood, friendship, and self-discovery. Her vivid portrayal of the people she encounters adds depth to her story.
Reading Hall’s memoir, I was in awe of her courage and inspired by her determination. Her honesty and vulnerability make her story incredibly relatable. As a fellow adoptee, I found myself deeply moved by her recounting of relinquishment and reunion. I cried a lot, touched by Hall's bravery and selflessness in sharing her story with the world.
"Practically Still a Virgin" is a compelling and relatable story that I highly recommend. Monica Hall's memoir is more than an account of overcoming adversity; it is a powerful narrative of hope, love, and redemption. I eagerly await Monica Hall’s follow-up work. This remarkable book will touch your heart and inspire your soul. It was a great read, and I see a second book in the works!
March 29, 2024
Monica skillfully weaves several different threads of her experience in this book. I grew up in Anchorage during the same time that Monica did, and she accurately portrays the challenges facing many tweens and teens in the beautiful state of Alaska. Monica tackles the complexity of adoption through the eyes of an adoptee and a young birth mother. She endured heartbreaking child abuse at the hands of one of her adoptive parents, while the other parent enabled the abuse. Any reader who experienced parental abuse will relate to this aspect of her story.
Monica also describes her anguish at experiencing pregnancy and childbirth at the young age of 15 and the pressure exerted on her to give her baby up for adoption. She then tells the story of the negative effects this loss had on her and how she eventually achieved sobriety and mental stability.
Monica adds an important voice to the complexity of adoption, both as an adoptee and as a birth mother. I was not adopted, but I have four adopted siblings, and this book helped me better understand their experiences. I wish every person who works with pregnant teenagers would read this book to gain another perspective on adoption--both for people who are adopted and for birth mothers. Not every person will have the same experience as Monica, but it is important to know that many do have similar experiences, and this book provides a perspective that needs to be considered.
Monica also describes her anguish at experiencing pregnancy and childbirth at the young age of 15 and the pressure exerted on her to give her baby up for adoption. She then tells the story of the negative effects this loss had on her and how she eventually achieved sobriety and mental stability.
Monica adds an important voice to the complexity of adoption, both as an adoptee and as a birth mother. I was not adopted, but I have four adopted siblings, and this book helped me better understand their experiences. I wish every person who works with pregnant teenagers would read this book to gain another perspective on adoption--both for people who are adopted and for birth mothers. Not every person will have the same experience as Monica, but it is important to know that many do have similar experiences, and this book provides a perspective that needs to be considered.
March 25, 2024
Growing up in Anchorage, attending the same middle and high school as Monica I was keen to read her memoir. Once I started, it was a book one could hardly put down. In fact, I read it twice just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Few could survive the trauma of a dysfunctional family life, a savage beating by her adoptive father, being raped by a friend's older brother, falling pregnant from that rape, and then having to relinquish the only blood relation she knew. All of which happened before the age of 16. I admire Monica’s honesty, courage, and vulnerability by including so many intimate details of her life; and the daily struggles of shame, addiction, and self-doubt she went through to discover where she came from, who she was, and how she eventually connected with her beloved firstborn daughter.
With inspiring candor, Monica skillfully intertwines social class nuances, ethnicity, and heart-wrenching life events, with touching honesty, humor, and a fierce tenacity that leaves one in awe. I laughed and cried throughout this book. I recommend Practically Still a Virgin to anyone on a personal journey. It would also be a fantastic class read/study for middle schoolers and older.
With inspiring candor, Monica skillfully intertwines social class nuances, ethnicity, and heart-wrenching life events, with touching honesty, humor, and a fierce tenacity that leaves one in awe. I laughed and cried throughout this book. I recommend Practically Still a Virgin to anyone on a personal journey. It would also be a fantastic class read/study for middle schoolers and older.
March 21, 2024
The author skillfully takes us through her journey of growing up as an adoptee in the rough but beautiful city of Anchorage, through her tumultuous adolescence in which she finds herself having to relinquish her own birth daughter, to her enraged, alcohol fueled teenage years and beyond in California, where she ultimately finds truth, sobriety, redemption and the power of love.
Ms. Hall goes deep into details about finding her birth family and the daughter she relinquished, and in so doing she confronts some difficult and also surprising truths. It was not an easy path but the people she encounters along the way are such interesting and unique characters that it was impossible to put this book down.
She touches on themes of religion, social status, ethnicity and how all of these influence who we become. It is a story about Motherhood, and the many different ways that manifests. It is about enduring friendship.
I was in awe of her courage, outraged by her antics, cheering for her to find what she was looking for, and inspired by her determination. This is a very compelling and relatable story. I can't wait for the follow up.
Ms. Hall goes deep into details about finding her birth family and the daughter she relinquished, and in so doing she confronts some difficult and also surprising truths. It was not an easy path but the people she encounters along the way are such interesting and unique characters that it was impossible to put this book down.
She touches on themes of religion, social status, ethnicity and how all of these influence who we become. It is a story about Motherhood, and the many different ways that manifests. It is about enduring friendship.
I was in awe of her courage, outraged by her antics, cheering for her to find what she was looking for, and inspired by her determination. This is a very compelling and relatable story. I can't wait for the follow up.
March 23, 2024
I had the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this book from cover to cover, and it left a lasting impression. 'Practically Still a Virgin' delves into the coming-of-age challenges of an adoptee growing up in the vibrant yet unpredictable landscape of Anchorage, Alaska, during its wild boom days. Monica Hall's memoir navigates the twists and turns of her misadventures in the Last Frontier, shedding light on the consequences of adverse childhood experiences and their enduring impact on her life. From early traumas to adult struggles, Hall bravely confronts her past while striving to reconnect with her relinquished child, echoing her own journey through adoption. This poignant narrative is a must-read for those who have undergone or are undergoing the journey of healing from childhood adversity, particularly resonating with adoptees seeking to rediscover their biological roots. Hall's raw and deeply personal reflection on overcoming childhood pain is both moving and inspiring, making 'Practically Still a Virgin' a compelling testament to the power of resilience.
March 23, 2025
Monica Hall's memoir, Practically Still a Virgin, is a gripping story of her turbulent life growing up as a young, indigenous adoptee in Alaska, who finds herself pregnant at fifteen and having to relinquish her first-born daughter, is powerfully written. Hall shares her heart-wrenching and hard-won insightfulness on loss, pain, identity, relinquishment, grief, family, and ultimately, reconciliation with her biological family and relinquished daughter--as well as herself. An inspiring story of courage, strength, and determination in the midst of great loss and angst, proving one's ability to overcome some of life's toughest traumas. I found Hall's intriguing story hard to put down, and read her book within a day. A heartfelt, well written memoir that explores adoption from a birth mother's perspective as well as from her own adoptee trauma. This profound and fascinating story will linger with you long after you've finished reading the last captivating page.
March 25, 2025
5 Stars for this dynamic read! This adoption memoir was beautifully documented and written. Finished in a couple of days! If you are an author you should definitely listen…
Monica’s incredible narration and descriptions of her life journey felt incredibly real and in depth yet, I left longing to know her and her story even more. Her ability to capture emotion with such honesty and grace made this a heart gripping read and the mini chapter style and her selection of words inspired me and made it hard to resist listening every spare moment (Audio read).
No doubt that healing and wholeness to many adoptees and birth mothers are found in these pages of relatability and raw sharing. Monica has so evidently done the work to put words to the silence or perhaps shame so many feel enslaved by. I would recommend this read to anyone who wants more life perspective. Simply beautiful.
Monica’s incredible narration and descriptions of her life journey felt incredibly real and in depth yet, I left longing to know her and her story even more. Her ability to capture emotion with such honesty and grace made this a heart gripping read and the mini chapter style and her selection of words inspired me and made it hard to resist listening every spare moment (Audio read).
No doubt that healing and wholeness to many adoptees and birth mothers are found in these pages of relatability and raw sharing. Monica has so evidently done the work to put words to the silence or perhaps shame so many feel enslaved by. I would recommend this read to anyone who wants more life perspective. Simply beautiful.
October 8, 2024
Holy cow! Read this book! As a first mother who relinquished a child, I appreciated Monica's inside look at being both a first mom and someone who was adopted as a child. Monica's story is so innocent and guarded, yet raw at the same time. The complexities of living within the adoption world are highlighted throughout the book and reveals the harm caused by religious hegemonies, and the tropes society mindlessly spews when centering people who adopt, rather than the people who suffer because of it.
July 19, 2024
Monica's ability to tell a story with incredible writing skills is remarkable. She represents a fascinating historical piece of Anchorage during the 70s oil boom. What I found so amazing was that despite the angst in her childhood and adult life, she came full circle, extending grace to those who hurt her and giving us hope.
August 15, 2024
Ugh. Zero stars. I was one year ahead of the author at North Star, Wendler, and East. I may well have been one of the kids she beat up across Lake Otis from Wendler. All I hear, to the very end is how everyone else should feel sorry for her. Puke inducing. Definitely not going to look at the next in the series.
July 31, 2024
Truly a riveting memoir. Helped me understand feelings one might experience with adoption in a way that moved my heart. It is written with compassion and understanding along with acceptance and forgiveness. Very powerful message filled with love. Filled me with so much hope.
September 23, 2024
What a crazy story of heartache, trauma, traumatic/abusive adoption, and family. I did feel like I needed a trigger warning on this book. It was intense. Definitely just wanted to cry a few times and also wanted to go back in time and rescue Monica…
November 30, 2024
I read the book, and let me tell you it’s fantastic. The author did a lot of memories she experienced and a lot of thought to all she wrote. It is definitely worth reading. I would recommend it to all my friends.
March 21, 2024
I was touched by Monica's honesty and vulnerability. I found myself rooting for her as she navigates her life's journey. Definitely a warriors tale. I highly recommend this book!
February 20, 2025
A very interesting insight into the 70s in Alaska- truly wild! Sad to hear how much damage adoption can cause.
June 12, 2025
Great story with a powerful message.
July 3, 2025
There is just too much helplessness and victimization in this memoir, and now she is going to write another book about her father?
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews