Not actually my forty-ninth book in the 52 books in 52 Weeks reading challenge since I have read 52 and beyond; however, I'm slow in posting reviews and this one needs to go back to the library. It was a chosen-for-me book by the library discussion group I attend, and I liked it. I started it the day it was passed out to us and finished it the very next day.
My ratings of 3 and 4 stars are starting to slide together. I can't say that this is a beach read or an entertaining read since the subject is so horrific and horrifically true at that: a woman who steals children (even responsible for the deaths of children) and adopts out the "cute" ones, and then...but, maybe that last part would be considered a spoiler so I won't write it in. It's an historical story set side by side with a fictional story that some reviewers had issues with. With such horrible facts, a little fictional romance breaks the darkness.
I did not actually know this 1930s and 40s account (before my time), but I did remember reading about Joan Crawford's adoption of her children (Mommie Dearest exposed the tragic consequences of Crawford's lack of love for those children), and I wondered if Crawford adopted from this place. It turns out she did along with other well known movie stars and political figures. For those who want all the horror and none of the light fiction, journalist Barbara Bisantz Raymond wrote a non-fiction book.
As an easily read historical novel that made me aware of a heartbreaking story, the book was good, four stars good. Generally, a four star book for me is one that I might buy; it might have quotes I want to remember, and this one does not. So in that line of thinking, I understand someone who would give it three stars.
---My real life section of the blog---One of my siblings is adopted (and usually everyone thinks it is the blonde-haired one since the other six of us (yes, six) are brunettes (or at least we used to be); however, the one with blonde hair has our mother's genes for hair. This sib found the birth mom and was not stolen from her. Good relationships abounded, but that's because of who are mother is. She has the gift of being friends with birth mothers and the wives of her ex-husband and the ex-wife of our stepdad. As long as you don't harm her family, biological, adopted (formally or informally), she will make you feel at home in her presence. I don't know what we would have done if we had found out the adopted sibling was stolen. As far as we are concerned that sibling is stuck with us forever!
💕💕💕 My spiritual formation section of the blog 💕💕💕Just putting this out there, I think the word "adoption" is possibly a human word in scriptures, yet, a human word where God loves us as much as--no, make that "more than", we love our adopted sibling. In God's language, I am thinking that everyone is God's biological kid and God loves us as much as -- no, make that "more than" -- my mom loves each and everyone of her family members. This is God that I want to find and know. 💕
My ratings of 3 and 4 stars are starting to slide together. I can't say that this is a beach read or an entertaining read since the subject is so horrific and horrifically true at that: a woman who steals children (even responsible for the deaths of children) and adopts out the "cute" ones, and then...but, maybe that last part would be considered a spoiler so I won't write it in. It's an historical story set side by side with a fictional story that some reviewers had issues with. With such horrible facts, a little fictional romance breaks the darkness.
I did not actually know this 1930s and 40s account (before my time), but I did remember reading about Joan Crawford's adoption of her children (Mommie Dearest exposed the tragic consequences of Crawford's lack of love for those children), and I wondered if Crawford adopted from this place. It turns out she did along with other well known movie stars and political figures. For those who want all the horror and none of the light fiction, journalist Barbara Bisantz Raymond wrote a non-fiction book.
As an easily read historical novel that made me aware of a heartbreaking story, the book was good, four stars good. Generally, a four star book for me is one that I might buy; it might have quotes I want to remember, and this one does not. So in that line of thinking, I understand someone who would give it three stars.
---My real life section of the blog---One of my siblings is adopted (and usually everyone thinks it is the blonde-haired one since the other six of us (yes, six) are brunettes (or at least we used to be); however, the one with blonde hair has our mother's genes for hair. This sib found the birth mom and was not stolen from her. Good relationships abounded, but that's because of who are mother is. She has the gift of being friends with birth mothers and the wives of her ex-husband and the ex-wife of our stepdad. As long as you don't harm her family, biological, adopted (formally or informally), she will make you feel at home in her presence. I don't know what we would have done if we had found out the adopted sibling was stolen. As far as we are concerned that sibling is stuck with us forever!
💕💕💕 My spiritual formation section of the blog 💕💕💕Just putting this out there, I think the word "adoption" is possibly a human word in scriptures, yet, a human word where God loves us as much as--no, make that "more than", we love our adopted sibling. In God's language, I am thinking that everyone is God's biological kid and God loves us as much as -- no, make that "more than" -- my mom loves each and everyone of her family members. This is God that I want to find and know. 💕
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