Loved By Choice: True Stories That Celebrate Adoption

by Susan Horner, Kelly Fordyce Martindale

Loved by Choice offers a clear and uplifting look at adoption from virtually every perspective. It is comprised of true stories that reflect the joys and the difficulties of those touched by adoption. Families working out an overseas adoption, those creating interracial families, grandparents, birth mothers, and even birth fathers are among the many who tell their stories.
Two appendices define adoption terms and outline resources that will be helpful to those exploring adoption. The emphasis of Loved by Choice, though, is to demonstrate how adoption can complete a family. It's a poignant celebration of adoption, led by those who understand it best.
This book's pro-life, positive, and upbeat message will be a welcomed source for women facing pregnancy choices, anyone working with unwed mothers, adoptees, adoption advocates, pro-life advocates, couples considering adoption, and anyone else interested in stories that celebrate adoption. It is an ideal book for bookstores and libraries to display in November, which is Adoption Awareness Month. Loved by Choice will also be popular at the many adoption-related conferences, book readings, and fairs that take place around the world.

Genres: Adoption, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

Reviews

[Nickie Mariager-Lam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly what the title says it is; a collection of short stories that celebrate adoption.

If you, like me, have read a lot of depressing books about everything that can go wrong during and after an adoption, then this book might be exactly what you need - a light in the dark, which shows that adoptions can have a (somewhat) happy ending!

[Kimberly Patton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chock full of personal adoption stories. Really, really personal and detailed stories of all varieties and it helped me get a picture of what adoption looks like from multiple perspectives.

[Stephen Escalera · Rating 5 out of 5]

When an individual or couple chooses to embark on the journey of adoption, whether as birthparents or adoptive parents, the plethora of books on the subject can often be overwhelming. Most books deal with what to expect in the legal process, special considerations that some families or their children may experience or psychological analyses of adopted children. Although the literature choices are many, there are few books that approach the delicate subject of adoption from the perspective of virtually everyone involved. Loved By Choice does just that in a heartwarming and moving way with true stories contributed by birthmothers, siblings, adoptive parents, grandparents and individuals who were themselves adopted as children.

Packed with emotion, each story communicates a part of the adoption story. It's the anguish a mother feels in choosing adoption for her little one. It's the ecstasy of new parents receiving into their arms their daughter for the first time. It's the grandparents struggling to come to terms with their daughter being pregnant, but join in support as their granddaughter is taken away, sometimes forever. It's in the mystery surrounding the unknown past of an adult who was adopted as a child and searching for answers.

Through all the stories, the incredibly hard journey is chronicled through so many different lenses that you can't help but wonder at the strength each person displays. But with each story, the marvel of the journey is presented with celebration and the fact that each child was loved.

As an adoptive parent of three beautiful children, each of their stories could very well have been one in this book. My oldest is always asking us to tell him the story of how he came to be our little boy and always likes the part about how he laughed and laughed during the very turbulent flight home. My hope is that just as the stories in this book celebrate adoption, so too my children will celebrate their story of adoption.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would *not* recommend this book. Out of all the adoption books I have read, this is the only one I actively disliked. If you are hardcore Christian, this might be good for you. I was uncomfortable by the level of religiousness espoused. I was also uncomfortable with some of the language used in the essays, including "natural" versus the more progressive term "biological." There was one essay where the adoptive father said he hadn't told his two sons they were adopted and didn't plan on it until they were adults...which is totally contrary to all the research on healthy adoptive parenting. Another essay had a parent threatening to "paddle" a child.

I understood this book a lot more once I realized Bethany Christian Services was involved. When my husband and I were evaluating potential adoption agencies we looked at their application. One of the major questions was "Tell us about your relationship with Jesus." At that point we decided Bethany was not for us.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot because it's composed of people's stories about adoption. People who've been adopted, who have adopted children, who have given their children up for adoption and others share their stories with their own words.

I wish the book had spent more time with adopting older children, more than one child at a time and international adoption. Most of the book is focused on semi open or open adoptions of infants at birth.

The book had a strong bias of positive stories from a Christian perspective.

[Jenifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

While adoption books that deal with the process of adoption and the needs of the adopted child are a source of great information for those considering adoption, it is refreshing to read a book that is just a compilation of adoption stories. I loved the broad range of perspective....from stories by the adopted child, to those by the adoptive grandparent, and everything in between. A great read while we await the arrival of our little girl!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book of short stories that "Celebrate Adoption". It is encouraging, and uplifting.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Presents views from all people involved in adoption. Very unique and fascinating book.