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I Knew You'd Have Brown Eyes
A conservative Catholic family in Queensland in 1974 is no place to be a pregnant teenager. With an authoritarian mother and facing enormous societal pressures, Mary Tennant must make a decision to save her future … but it is one that will haunt her for the rest of her life.
After putting her baby son up for adoption, Mary tries returns to her old life and her studies to be a nurse but finds that she cannot escape thoughts of her son or feelings of guilt. The situation is made worse because her mother and family completely ignore what has happened and Mary cannot talk to anyone about how she feels. Even after travelling throughout remote Australia as a nurse and health advisor, eventually marrying and having two daughters, Mary feels incomplete and restless.
Then the adoption laws regarding contact between birth mothers and their children are changed. Mary decides that the time might be right to see if her son wants to meet her, But nothing is ever as simple as it seems and Mary’s life and world is about to be turned upside down all over again.
Spanning forty years and set against a backdrop of changing social attitudes in Australia, this is the story of a young girl searching for meaning, coming to terms with her guilt and grief, and learning that breaking the silence brings empowerment.
After putting her baby son up for adoption, Mary tries returns to her old life and her studies to be a nurse but finds that she cannot escape thoughts of her son or feelings of guilt. The situation is made worse because her mother and family completely ignore what has happened and Mary cannot talk to anyone about how she feels. Even after travelling throughout remote Australia as a nurse and health advisor, eventually marrying and having two daughters, Mary feels incomplete and restless.
Then the adoption laws regarding contact between birth mothers and their children are changed. Mary decides that the time might be right to see if her son wants to meet her, But nothing is ever as simple as it seems and Mary’s life and world is about to be turned upside down all over again.
Spanning forty years and set against a backdrop of changing social attitudes in Australia, this is the story of a young girl searching for meaning, coming to terms with her guilt and grief, and learning that breaking the silence brings empowerment.
Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 20, 2017
Read this book in literally one sitting/ laying.
A compelling story. One which gives a rarely seen view of adoption, the one of the birth mother.
Loved Mary's honesty, how she wrote about the shame and guilt of that particular time and of relinquishing a child, but also the selflessness, love and hope that never leaves birth mothers. A great perspective about the implications of a closed adoption, and a understanding of why open adoptions are now common practice in Australia.
A compelling story. One which gives a rarely seen view of adoption, the one of the birth mother.
Loved Mary's honesty, how she wrote about the shame and guilt of that particular time and of relinquishing a child, but also the selflessness, love and hope that never leaves birth mothers. A great perspective about the implications of a closed adoption, and a understanding of why open adoptions are now common practice in Australia.
February 20, 2022
5 stars for sheer courage & honesty in telling such a tragic tale. Pregnant at 17 in a conservative Catholic family, Mary had no option but to have her son adopted. The desperate loss she felt echoed through her life. Her family especially her mother never spoke of her son. Hers was a shameful secret. This was a compelling book to read & it also made me so angry.
February 16, 2017
A conservative Catholic family in Queensland in 1974 is no place to be a pregnant teenager. With an authoritarian mother and facing enormous societal pressures, Mary Tennant must make a decision to save her future … but it is one that will haunt her for the rest of her life.
After putting her baby son up for adoption, Mary tries returns to her old life and her studies to be a nurse but finds that she cannot escape thoughts of her son or feelings of guilt. The situation is made worse because her mother and family completely ignore what has happened and Mary cannot talk to anyone about how she feels. Even after travelling throughout remote Australia as a nurse and health advisor, eventually marrying and having two daughters, Mary feels incomplete and restless.
Then the adoption laws regarding contact between birth mothers and their children are changed. Mary decides that the time might be right to see if her son wants to meet her, But nothing is ever as simple as it seems and Mary’s life and world is about to be turned upside down all over again.
Spanning forty years and set against a backdrop of changing social attitudes in Australia, this is the story of a young girl searching for meaning, coming to terms with her guilt and grief, and learning that breaking the silence brings empowerment
After putting her baby son up for adoption, Mary tries returns to her old life and her studies to be a nurse but finds that she cannot escape thoughts of her son or feelings of guilt. The situation is made worse because her mother and family completely ignore what has happened and Mary cannot talk to anyone about how she feels. Even after travelling throughout remote Australia as a nurse and health advisor, eventually marrying and having two daughters, Mary feels incomplete and restless.
Then the adoption laws regarding contact between birth mothers and their children are changed. Mary decides that the time might be right to see if her son wants to meet her, But nothing is ever as simple as it seems and Mary’s life and world is about to be turned upside down all over again.
Spanning forty years and set against a backdrop of changing social attitudes in Australia, this is the story of a young girl searching for meaning, coming to terms with her guilt and grief, and learning that breaking the silence brings empowerment
September 23, 2017
Written with a great deal of insight, empathy and compassion; this book is easy to read, yet the emotions it evokes are deep. It starts with a time when many unmarried teenage mothers to be had little choice but to give up their babies at birth, for adoption. Mary's personal, open and honest account of her own experience as one of those mothers, shows us that giving up a child is not usually the cold and callous decision that a lot of people presume it is. The ups and downs of the sporadic contact she finally has with her son over the years, show that reuniting with a child given up for adoption is not always plain sailing or straightforward. I really enjoyed Mary's writing style, and would love to read more books written by her.
June 15, 2016
Absolutely loved this book! Could not put it down! Such an inspiring story to read as a mum!
August 22, 2019
A lovely memoir of Mary Tennant. As a 17-year-old, Mary fell pregnant and because of her Catholic beliefs at the time, she decided against abortion and gave her son up for adoption. Mary qualified as a nurse and spent a lot of years in outback communities caring for indigenous families. At the back of her mind was always the thought if she would ever meet her son.
July 2, 2025
Found this on a shelf in our accommodation whilst on holiday and have zero regrets picking it up. Such a great story about the shame, guilt and regret experienced by the author after putting her son up for adoption when she was just seventeen. A quick and easy, but enjoyable, read.
September 13, 2016
This is such a great story and is told so well. Easy to read and totally enjoyable. Really enjoyed the clarity of the story and the insights Mary shares about her experience. Thanks for sharing your story Mary.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews