Abandoned at Birth
eBook - ePub

Abandoned at Birth

Searching for the Arms that Once Held Me

  1. 256 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Abandoned at Birth

Searching for the Arms that Once Held Me

About this book

In Abandoned at Birth, Janet Sherlund explores the inherent need adopted children have for a sense of belonging and the pain and courage that is required to discover their true identity. Adoption is often painted as a happy, inspirational act—a baby finds a family and lives happily ever after. But the truth is that adopted children experience displacement and rupture from their mother and that trauma can impact an individual for a lifetime. Adoption can lead to feelings of loss and grief not just for the adoptee, but for the biological and adoptive parents as well. This startling fact comes vividly to life in Janet Sherlund's heartbreaking memoir, Abandoned at Birth. In her literary debut, Janet Sherlund explores the complex issues so many adoptees and their parents grapple with, including the complicated emotions of rejection, loss, grief, denial, and shame. Sherlund, who was given up for adoption within days of her birth, shares her journey to fulfill her lifetime longing for connection with her family of origin, her instinctive ache for connection with her birth mother, and what it was like to have a "borrowed identity." In poignant detail, Sherlund describes her quest to find out who she is, where she came from, and why she was given away. And she reveals the pain and courage required to discover one's true identity. With 5 million adoptees in the U.S., many of whom are discovering their biological roots on DNA websites, Abandoned at Birth is the book for our time. The insight Sherlund derived from her journey will encourage and console others on the same path, while examining the inherent need of all of us to belong, and understand our origins, our culture, and our genetic roots.

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Yes, you can access Abandoned at Birth by Janet Sherlund in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Social Sciences & Social Science Biographies. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Prologue: Filed Away: 2021
  5. Chapter One: Unrelated Thoughts
  6. Chapter Two: The Accommodating Child: 1947–1964
  7. Chapter Three: A World as Big as All Alone: 1964–1968
  8. Chapter Four: Committing to Perfection: 1967
  9. Chapter Five: My Refuge in the Storm: 1964
  10. Chapter Six: Downhill from Here: 1966
  11. Chapter Seven: Deathly Fears: 1965
  12. Chapter Eight: A Plague of Anxiety: 1966
  13. Chapter Nine: Self-Preservation: 1970
  14. Chapter Ten: Finding My Voice: 1974–1975
  15. Chapter Eleven: A Red-Letter Day: 1977
  16. Chapter Twelve: To Have and to Hold: 1977–1979
  17. Chapter Thirteen: Loved Ones in Need: 1978, 1989, 2010
  18. Chapter Fourteen: First Contact: 2010–2011
  19. Chapter Fifteen: Flesh and Blood: 2011
  20. Chapter Sixteen: Heart and Soul: 2011
  21. Chapter Seventeen: A ‘Sconset Gathering: 2011–2012
  22. Chapter Eighteen: More Family Ties: 2011
  23. Chapter Nineteen: Borrowed Time: 2013
  24. Chapter Twenty: Mourning Calls Again: 2013–2014
  25. Chapter Twenty-One: Wait… Hold the Phone!: 2016
  26. Chapter Twenty-Two: New Sisters: 2016
  27. Chapter Twenty-Three: A Long-Overdue Luncheon: 2016
  28. Chapter Twenty-Four: New Brothers: 2016
  29. Chapter Twenty-Five: A Family Holiday: 2016–2017
  30. Chapter Twenty-Six: Remember When: 2017
  31. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Déjà Vu: 2017
  32. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Requiem for a Father: 2017
  33. Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Distant Relative: 2017–2018
  34. Chapter Thirty: Last Goodbyes: 2018
  35. Chapter Thirty-One: All of Me: 2018–2019
  36. Chapter Thirty-Two: Holding My Own: 2019–2022
  37. Epilogue: Ashes to Ashes: Shirlie’s Death: 2022
  38. Acknowledgments
  39. About the Author
  40. Copyright