What happens when the story of adoption isn't the fairy tale we expect?
In It's A Long Way Home: Adoptive Mothers Break Their Silence, Brighid Shena O'Shaughnessy gives voice to adoptive mothers whose journeys reveal the hidden, and often unsettling, realities of adoption. Through raw, ethnographic storytelling, O'Shaughnessy, an adoptive mother, social worker, and seasoned documentary theatre creator, shares true accounts of adoption experiences that confront the public perception of a happily-ever-after narrative. These stories explore challenging themes such as physical violence, self-harm, lifetime disabilities, and systemic failures in education and healthcare that continue to let families down. Yet, amidst the darkness, the book offers hope—providing practical strategies, resources, and hard-won paths toward healing.
Ideal for courses in social work, trauma studies, counseling and education, this book will engage students and professionals alike, offering valuable insights for educators, healthcare providers, and community leaders.