Put These Books On Your Reading List
Julie McGue
Author
- Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro (2019)
- Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate (2019)
- Before & After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children’s Home Society by Judy Christie & Lisa Wingate (2019)
- All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir by Nicole Chung (2019)
- Fixing the Fates: An Adoptees Story of Truth and Lies by Diane Dewey (2019)
Why should you read these?
Because people are talking about these releases. Because each of these authors share a compelling tale which provides more than one universal lesson – a meaningful message from which you might benefit. Because these manuscripts are well written, informative, insightful and inspiring.
What are these books about?
Families. Relationships. Truths. Lies. Secrets. Shame. Guilt. Vulnerability. Redemption. Reunion. Right and Wrong. Joy. Resiliency. Courage. Hope.
In Dani Shapiro’s memoir, Inheritance, the author’s life turns upside down as a result of a DNA test. She questions her very existence and all that she had held to be true. The reader walks alongside Shapiro as she works through the meaning of the test results. As the author unravels her story, she enlightens us with her logic and reflections. Like her, we are changed as we reach the other side of the journey. Anyone that has ever wondered or investigated their genealogy will be enthralled with Shapiro’s latest masterpiece.
Wingate’s bestselling work of fiction, Before We Were Yours is based on a real-life character, Georgia Tann. From 1920 to 1950, Tann’s Tennessee Children’s Home Society in Memphis dealt in black-market baby trafficking. This novel brought such awareness to the infamous adoption scandal that many adoptees from the Tennessee Children’s Home sought connection with their biological families.
Before & After, written by Lisa Wingate with Judy Christie, brings the real-life sagas of adoptees from the Tennessee Children’s Home on to the written page. I read Wingate’s novel first and followed it with the co-authored work. They make great companion pieces, like a longed-for dessert after a satisfying meal. The heart-wrenching testimonials were eloquently presented, and I cried as adoptees like me learned long hidden truths about themselves and their families.
Nicole Chung is an Asian-American who was adopted into a suburban white family. Adored by her adoptive parents, she did not always feel as if she blended into her community. Chung begins the search for her roots when she is pregnant with her first child. We cheer for her as she connects with a biological sister, and we feel her loss as she learns shocking truths about her birth family. All You Can Ever Know is a story that unfolds with grace and dignity.
In Fixing the Fates: An Adoptee’s Story of Truth and Lies, Diane Dewey is adopted from a Swiss orphanage at one year of age by an American family. She grew up believing her biological parents were dead. At forty-seven years old, Diane received a letter from her biological father. He wanted to get to know her! Like a private eye, Diane sifted through various versions of the truth and came to the conclusion that identity is a state of mind.
I hope you pick up one of these reads. Drop me a line and let me know what you think. Share your favorite book, too!
Check out the Resources tab on my website (https://www.juliemcgueauthor.com) for other recommended books related to the adoption experience.
“As the author unravels her story, she enlightens us with her logic and reflections.”
Snag my in-depth reference guide to best equip you for the journey ahead.
1 Comment
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TWICE A DAUGHTER
A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging
by Julie McGue
I read Inheritance a couple of months ago. It was sooo good- the way the connections were revealed, and the amazing power of love. I also liked Before We Were Yours, so now I have Before and After on my TBR list. Thx for the recs!