What do you think?
Rate this book
Expectations: A True Adoption Story
I write books of fiction. This is not one of them. Some minor details have been altered and names changed. At some point, you might think I'm making things up. Some of them I don’t believe and I saw it happen. This is a story about crisis. It’s about resolution and life prevailing. It’s about adoption. This is not a step-by-step guide on how to turn lemons into lemonade. I’m not an expert in crisis management or adoption. There was plenty of the luck that made it all happen. This is just one story. It happens to be true.
- GenresNonfiction
52 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 13, 2017
36 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Tony Bertauski
75 books768 followersGet my books FREE. Tell me where to send them at http://bertauski.com
He grew up in the Midwest where the land is flat and the corn is tall. The winters are bleak and cold. He hated winters.
He always wanted to write. But writing was hard. And he wasn’t very disciplined. The cold had nothing to do with that, but it didn’t help. That changed in grad school.
After several attempts at a proposal, his major advisor was losing money on red ink and advised him to figure it out. Somehow, he did.
After grad school, he and his wife and two very little children moved to the South in Charleston, South Carolina where the winters are spring and the summers are a sauna (cliche but dead on accurate). That’s when he started teaching and writing articles for trade magazines. He eventually published two textbooks on landscape design. He then transitioned to writing a column for the Post and Courier. They were all great gigs, but they weren’t fiction.
That was a few years later.
His daughter started reading before she could read, pretending she knew the words in books she propped on her lap. His son was a different story. In an attempt to change that, he began writing a story with him. They made up a character, gave him a name, and something to do. As with much of parenting, it did not go as planned. But the character got stuck in his head.
He wanted out.
A few years later, Socket Greeny was born. It was a science fiction trilogy that was gritty and thoughtful. That was 2005.
He has been practicing Zen since he was 23 years old. A daily meditator, he wants to instill something meaningful in his stories that appeals to a young adult crowd as well as adult. Think Hunger Games. He hadn’t planned to write fiction, didn’t even know if he had anymore stories in him after Socket Greeny.
Turns out he did.
He grew up in the Midwest where the land is flat and the corn is tall. The winters are bleak and cold. He hated winters.
He always wanted to write. But writing was hard. And he wasn’t very disciplined. The cold had nothing to do with that, but it didn’t help. That changed in grad school.
After several attempts at a proposal, his major advisor was losing money on red ink and advised him to figure it out. Somehow, he did.
After grad school, he and his wife and two very little children moved to the South in Charleston, South Carolina where the winters are spring and the summers are a sauna (cliche but dead on accurate). That’s when he started teaching and writing articles for trade magazines. He eventually published two textbooks on landscape design. He then transitioned to writing a column for the Post and Courier. They were all great gigs, but they weren’t fiction.
That was a few years later.
His daughter started reading before she could read, pretending she knew the words in books she propped on her lap. His son was a different story. In an attempt to change that, he began writing a story with him. They made up a character, gave him a name, and something to do. As with much of parenting, it did not go as planned. But the character got stuck in his head.
He wanted out.
A few years later, Socket Greeny was born. It was a science fiction trilogy that was gritty and thoughtful. That was 2005.
He has been practicing Zen since he was 23 years old. A daily meditator, he wants to instill something meaningful in his stories that appeals to a young adult crowd as well as adult. Think Hunger Games. He hadn’t planned to write fiction, didn’t even know if he had anymore stories in him after Socket Greeny.
Turns out he did.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 21, 2021
This was amazing!
Most adoption books are from the perspective of the child or mother; this was from the perspective of the father.
The author was able to both tell his story as well as acknowledge that other people have different experiences (before and after the adoption process). This story tugged at my heart.
Most adoption books are from the perspective of the child or mother; this was from the perspective of the father.
The author was able to both tell his story as well as acknowledge that other people have different experiences (before and after the adoption process). This story tugged at my heart.
August 14, 2023
Heather and Tony were twenty one and twenty two years old when she got pregnant unexpectedly. They were both in college and had to make some serious decisions. Tony writes down his memories of their journey, and the thought process that preceded adoption.
Deciding whether or not to keep, abort, or adopt is not easy. There is a lot to weigh, and it can’t be taken lightly because a life hangs in the balance of your decision. They ended up going through an adoption agency where they received counseling services, and worked up an adoption plan. They received annual updates from the adoptive family, and later came to have a family of their own. Their son reached out to them through email when he turned eighteen.
~~~
I enjoyed reading their story, but it honestly hit pretty close to home. I can relate to their fears, because I got pregnant at seventeen, and my boyfriend was 18. We both had family members with differing opinions. The words “abortion” and “adoption” came up, but we both decided that we could not be swayed. We wanted to keep our baby, because a family is something that we both wanted, it just came a lot earlier than we had planned. My then boyfriend, now husband, graduated high school early and joined the military.
Long story short: we had to grow up QUICK! The first four years of our sons life were the hardest. Being a newlywed, an eighteen-year-old mother, and my husband being deployed overseas for several months at a time is not for the faint of heart. Our son is now seventeen. ♥️
Deciding whether or not to keep, abort, or adopt is not easy. There is a lot to weigh, and it can’t be taken lightly because a life hangs in the balance of your decision. They ended up going through an adoption agency where they received counseling services, and worked up an adoption plan. They received annual updates from the adoptive family, and later came to have a family of their own. Their son reached out to them through email when he turned eighteen.
~~~
I enjoyed reading their story, but it honestly hit pretty close to home. I can relate to their fears, because I got pregnant at seventeen, and my boyfriend was 18. We both had family members with differing opinions. The words “abortion” and “adoption” came up, but we both decided that we could not be swayed. We wanted to keep our baby, because a family is something that we both wanted, it just came a lot earlier than we had planned. My then boyfriend, now husband, graduated high school early and joined the military.
Long story short: we had to grow up QUICK! The first four years of our sons life were the hardest. Being a newlywed, an eighteen-year-old mother, and my husband being deployed overseas for several months at a time is not for the faint of heart. Our son is now seventeen. ♥️
January 2, 2021
I love this authors books, so when I saw this non fiction title I was intrigued. This is a first hand account of the authors experiences with an unplanned pregnancy and his options on what to do next. I expected this to be a very formally written piece, but this was a very relaxed style, easy to read and understand. There are are pictures accompanying the narrative, detailing the relationships between the author, his wife, and the family and friends which makes this somehow more personal. The idea behind this book is to give people a better understanding of the adoption process in the USA and what options are available to them when they may be feeling trapped. The author goes into detail about his emotions from his teen years upwards, revealing a vulnerable side that his readers may not be aware of. A percentage of the proceeds from sale goes to an adoption charity, so the author is helping people several times with this release.
This is an insight into the adoption process that may be of interest to people looking to learn a bit more, upcoming parents, or like myself, fans of the author who wanted to read a non fiction offering too.
This is an insight into the adoption process that may be of interest to people looking to learn a bit more, upcoming parents, or like myself, fans of the author who wanted to read a non fiction offering too.
November 3, 2017
An Unbelievable Story
4.5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been following Tony for some time and when I got the email from him that he wrote a true adoption story I had to jump on it. I was adopted myself (it was not an open adoption), so I had to read this.
I didn’t even know if the gave a child up for adoption or adopted themselves, I bought this short story synopsis unread.
I’m kind of glad that I did because I didn’t know what I was getting into (other than a true adoption story). As I mentioned above, I was adopted myself, so the themes and overall feeling of this book really worked with how I feel and made me feel even luckier than I already feel.
Numerous times Tony writes about how it wouldn’t seem real unless it really happened to him and some of the things he writes about, I 100% understand why he says that. Some of the “coincidences” or “fate-related” stuff that happens is almost unbelievable. But it’s also hard to write stuff like that and lie about it. Bertauski is a master of the short non-fiction story with Expectations.
I’m glad I picked this book up, It was easily one of the easiest 99 cents I’ve ever spent and the afternoon that I read it I laughed, I cried, and I felt better after finishing it.
4.5 out of 5 stars
I’ve been following Tony for some time and when I got the email from him that he wrote a true adoption story I had to jump on it. I was adopted myself (it was not an open adoption), so I had to read this.
I didn’t even know if the gave a child up for adoption or adopted themselves, I bought this short story synopsis unread.
I’m kind of glad that I did because I didn’t know what I was getting into (other than a true adoption story). As I mentioned above, I was adopted myself, so the themes and overall feeling of this book really worked with how I feel and made me feel even luckier than I already feel.
Numerous times Tony writes about how it wouldn’t seem real unless it really happened to him and some of the things he writes about, I 100% understand why he says that. Some of the “coincidences” or “fate-related” stuff that happens is almost unbelievable. But it’s also hard to write stuff like that and lie about it. Bertauski is a master of the short non-fiction story with Expectations.
I’m glad I picked this book up, It was easily one of the easiest 99 cents I’ve ever spent and the afternoon that I read it I laughed, I cried, and I felt better after finishing it.
October 28, 2017
Inspiring
This was such a heart wrenching, moving and all together beautiful story from beginning to end. It shows the truth in life and the decisions we make in our lives effect everyone around us and the most important one(s) are the children. I myself am against abortion so I was glad to read he was adopted to a loving family. Not all adoptions end well and only can pray and have faith for the sake of the children. We love them and raise them the best we can. Always with love.
This was such a heart wrenching, moving and all together beautiful story from beginning to end. It shows the truth in life and the decisions we make in our lives effect everyone around us and the most important one(s) are the children. I myself am against abortion so I was glad to read he was adopted to a loving family. Not all adoptions end well and only can pray and have faith for the sake of the children. We love them and raise them the best we can. Always with love.
September 27, 2022
The third option
This is a story about an unplanned pregnancy and the resulting open adoption. In this case, everything lined up. The couple acted out of love for their child, wanting him to have the best life possible. There were not many details of some of the obstacles they must have overcome. Yet throughout this short narrative, you hear love. It's something we need to hear more often.
This is a story about an unplanned pregnancy and the resulting open adoption. In this case, everything lined up. The couple acted out of love for their child, wanting him to have the best life possible. There were not many details of some of the obstacles they must have overcome. Yet throughout this short narrative, you hear love. It's something we need to hear more often.
November 4, 2022
Am adoption from a different point of view
A glimpse into adoption from the birth parents of the child who is going to an adoptive home. It worked so well for these families. Dad at birth, who is the author, cautions that it doesn’t always go this well. Enjoyable for me, I can see that it might be different for others who may have been involved in other adoptions.
A glimpse into adoption from the birth parents of the child who is going to an adoptive home. It worked so well for these families. Dad at birth, who is the author, cautions that it doesn’t always go this well. Enjoyable for me, I can see that it might be different for others who may have been involved in other adoptions.
November 7, 2017
Just finished it. First this was a very nice and heartfelt story. Tony touched a nerve in such a nice way. Thank you for your honest and personal story. I hope people who read it consider adoption in a different order than it is usually considered.
November 1, 2017
A very open story of the author's and his wife's journey through a surprise pregnancy as very young adults. Although a short story, it has a lot of emotion and honesty, and a happy ending.
December 10, 2017
What a wonderfully heartwarming story. Happy endings do happen in the real world after all.
November 16, 2017
A very touching story. Thank you for sharing.
December 27, 2017
Its okay
Okay but not my style totally for everything's okay people. If you are that type of person it may work for you
Okay but not my style totally for everything's okay people. If you are that type of person it may work for you
April 4, 2018
Win/win💕
What a wonderful story. My cousin adopted a baby at birth but the records were sealed. Her daughter, happy in her own right, has always felt like that is a loose end.
What a wonderful story. My cousin adopted a baby at birth but the records were sealed. Her daughter, happy in her own right, has always felt like that is a loose end.
July 5, 2021
Very short book, but heartfelt. Very suitable for teens.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews