To be honest, I wasn’t prepared for the emotional impact that this book would have on me. I’ve often wondered the emotional weight adoptees carry and through her poignant memoir, Abandoned at Birth, Janet Sherlund recounts her emotional journey and life navigating the exploration of her deep rooted need for belonging, discovering her identity and finding her roots.

The book explores what led to her adoption and chronicles her life navigating the dual worlds of her adopted family and struggling with the urge to find herself by locating her biological family. Her feelings of rejection, loss and grief in pursuit of finding her identity, belonging and connecting with her biological family was courageous. Her story highlighted the pain and struggles many adoptees often feel and will resonate and give insight to others who have shared or may be on a similar path.

This book became more than what I initially thought when I first started reading. It gives a voice to an experience that often remains silent. Her vulnerability makes this heartwarming and draws the deepest empathy and compassion for adoptees as a whole. This truly captures the effects of adoption, not only for the adoptees but potentially both families. This would be a great read for those on a similar journey to encourage and give comfort knowing you aren’t alone.

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