The Jonathon Letters: One Family's Use of Support as They Took in, and Fell in Love with, a Troubled Child

by Michael Trout, Lori Thomas

This book gathers together an exchange of letters over the first year of placement of a particularly troubled child suffering from attachment disorder. The correspondence is between Lori Thomas, the foster/adoptive mother, and Michael Trout, Director of The Infant-Parent Institute in Illinois.
Unbeknownst to the two parties, they were recording the story of the tortuously slow and unsteady opening up of the soul of a little boy.
The Jonathon Letters was created in the hopes that these recorded experiences may help others who struggle to heal their child with attachment disorder.
It is a tale of ups and downs, because that's how it is with children whose beginnings have been so tortured. But the reader begins to get a sense of the driving energy of this unique family, who somehow bounce back after every regression, and find ways to understand Jonathon's defiance and rage and to remain connected to their purpose - to help this child heal.

Genres: Fostering, Adoption

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2005

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband and I are becoming foster parents, and a fellow foster parent, upon hearing our news, loaned us The Jonathon Letters. I looked at the flap and thought, "Discouraging." A child who cannot connect to his foster parents? Who throws tantrums and terrorizes the house? I was new in the PS-MAPP licensing class and refused to believe that this type of child could enter my home.

Weeks later and definitely more "toughened" and accepting, I picked up The Jonathon Letters and devoured it. I was able to devour, because I no longer saw this as a discouraging book, but the opposite. What a force of nature Lori Thomas is! Her persistent optimism, her pursuit of the lost child hidden deep beneath the layers of hurt and trauma and self-defense, her keen insight and intuition on how to handle the many curveballs that Jonathon threw--all amazed me. Mothers have a hefty job as is. This mother completely shaped this little guy! With the help of an amazing support team--Michael Trout's own input is chronicled here in this e-mail correspondence comprising The Jonathon Letters--and strong faith in the purpose of what she was doing and the hope for an uplifting outcome, the Thomas family helped a wounded child on his way to love and healing.

[NATUI · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was amazing. I do not have a child with RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder), but I felt as a parent it gave me insight into the behaviors of other children I may see. It is easy to be judgmental when a child is demonstrating a behavior that you have not seen in your own child. An interesting read for anyone regardless of having their own children or not. The dedication this family has to love a child is inspiring.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, especially as I have been to several trainings presented by Michael Trout. Very thought-provoking!

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very difficult to read on an emotional level.