Tenacity

by Rebecca Tillou

A true story of adoption, search, reunion, and all that goes in between . Jump into the waters of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, new found family relationships, unexpected friendships.

Genres: Parenting

310 pages, ebook

Published May 2, 2016

Reviews

[Katy Jo Vasbinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tenacity Indeed

What a journey Rebecca had! Coming from a place with an adopted sister and a husband who was adopted, I found Rebecca's quest for information about her birth mom fascinating. In the middle of the book, forgetting the book's title, I thought to myself, Rebecca has tenacity in spades! I chuckled when I remembered the title of this book. Also, the similarities between Rebecca's info and adoption process and my sister's were eerily similar. Both birth mom's stated that they were bartenders. Both were adopted through Bethany Christian Services. Both were given up for adoption right away (though my sister was placed in a foster home first, as she needed heart surgery). Both were under weight. Both dreamed of meeting their birth-mom... And lastly, both families saw the similarities between them and characteristics of people diagnosed with FASD. Although there is some information about FASD in this book, Rebecca's book Tenacity is primarily a detailed account of her search for her birth mom and other biological relatives. If you are in a quest of your own, or have family members on one or contemplating starting one, I highly recommend reading about Rebecca's journey.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never have I seen a more perfect title for a book!! Tillou is about as tough as they come as she writes about her journey to locate her birth mother. Throughout the book, she would come across a challenge in her search that where, if it was me, would throw my hands up in the air and be done! This woman perseveres through obstacles that would seem hopeless for some. The footwork done by Tillou to locate her birth mother, complicated by her diagnosis of FAS, is proof that when one’s heart yearns so deeply for something, it CAN happen!
I have learned much from this book about ways of handling issues in my own life by using Tillou’s problem solving skills and coping mechanisms.
I truly hope that every adoptee who entertains the thought of searching for their birth parents comes across this book.

[Etta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca Tillou has written an intensely personal account of her search for her birth/fist family and her identity, which will undoubtedly help to educate adoptees considering search, their families who want to understand and support them, and professionals who may not be as familiar as they should be with lifelong issues of adoption. While I do not wish to be overly critical and I am totally mindful of the author's FASD diagnosis, I found the book difficult to read at times because of grammatical errors, and Ms. Tillou's decisions about when to introduce people and events. A talented editor could have helped her make this book much more powerful. Nevertheless, it is an important memoir that will be especially useful to adoptees beginning on a search journey.

[Jan Crossen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a testament to discovery and hope. It is a story of adoption and the struggles of living with brain damage due to fetal exposure to alcohol. Rebecca suffers from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder FASD. With bulldog like determination, Rebecca completed her journey to find her birth history and biological family. I admire her tenacity in completing her search and the manuscript of this book which is well named. Well done, Rebecca. Thank you for sharing!

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read

Rebecca's adoption journey reads like a mystery novel. It's an amazing, thoughtful, and inspiring story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.