I received an advanced readers copy of the book.
Get ready to have your eyes and hearts open through reading The Adoption Paradox.
Like so many things in life, it would be way more comfortable to see things in black/white, right/wrong pronouncements. Doing “the right thing” could leave your conscious clear. Life isn’t really that simple though, and neither is adoption. This is a complex topic that deserves our attention.
Jean Kelly Widner does a beautiful job of sharing stories directly from the point of view of the many sides/angles of adoption. She compassionately weaves their stories, while also pointing to the problematic systems in place that cause pain for many.
As a therapist, I have worked with people on all sides of the adoption paradox. Jean does a beautiful job of normalizing the many complex and conflicting emotions and experiences that adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents experience. This is the book I will recommend to clients and others to read to support their own healing journey. I recommend this book to therapists for a more holistic view of all involved. If you are a therapist, you have had clients affected by adoption in some way or another.
Jean is my friend. I had the honor of witnessing her courage and growth as she went through the process of researching and writing this book. What she discovered and shares with all of us changed her. This book will change you too. For the better.
-Julie Kyker, LMFT
