July 23, 2019
July 23, 2019
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Dancing with a Porcupine: Essential Reading for Foster and Adoptive Parents

If you are even thinking of becoming a foster parent, you need to read this book. Like many people who decide to become foster parents, Jennie Owens and her husband, Lynn, were confident that love would conquer all. The trauma. The anger. The pain and loss experienced by every member of the family. And like many such couples, they never knew what hit them. The isolation. The bone-chilling fatigue. The mental strain. Most of all, the unrelenting inner refraing that keeps on and on: Am-I-going-crazy? I wish I had had this book fifteen years ago, when I needed to have someone explain to me why self-care […]
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December 25, 2013
December 25, 2013
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The Book Whisperer: “God Found Us You” by Lisa Bergren and Laura Bryant

Merry Christmas! While my family and I are unwrapping our presents, I wanted to share this resource for families whose children experience emotional upsets during the holidays or at other times (such as birthdays) that are typically “happy” occasions. In Handle with Care, Picoult refers to a “language of loss” that parents and children endure in the most intimate family relationships. Within adoptive families, these losses can be especially complex — if for no other reason, because of the number of people involved in the family bond. As parents, however, we must be willing to see – and help them articulate – the pain of our children as […]
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April 10, 2011
April 10, 2011
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“We Have the Power to Change Things”: A Review of Adoption Nation by Adam Pertman

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a publicist, asking if I would review Adoption Nation, which had been recently updated and revised.  At the time I was in the throes of completing my master’s thesis, and the author’s name did not immediately register (Pertman is the executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Institute).  But the title caught my attention, so I asked her to send it. (My thesis is on the historical and theological foundations of adoption, so I figured one more book on the topic wouldn’t kill me.)   Last week I finally picked up the book . . . and […]
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April 28, 2010
April 28, 2010
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Wee Read Wednesday: “Longing to Love” by Tim Muldoon

Recently released by Loyola Press, “Longing to Love” is a poignant reminder of the many pathways of love in the human heart. Muldoon’s memoir was a touching story of his family’s journey to adoption (they adopted two little girls from China), which brought to mind one of my other favorite books, Sheldon Vanauken’s A Severe Mercy. (Both authors attended Oxford, and both stories involve the blossoming relationships of couples who love each other deeply, yet are unable to have children.) As they contemplated becoming parents, Muldoon recounts the qualms he experienced — feelings common to many prospective adoptive parents, though they are usually felt more […]
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March 25, 2009
March 25, 2009
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EMN Mailbag: “Raising Up Mommy” for Lent!

Are you looking for a book for a study group or book group? Here’s a letter from one group of ladies who are working their way through my book Raising Up Mommy for Lent! If you order six or more copies, I toss in a free video to kick off your study. To order, just go to my website. God bless you!
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May 28, 2008
May 28, 2008
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Thanks, Julie … and Lisa … and Colleen!

Julie Davis (at “Happy Catholic”) posted her review of Raising Up Mommy … and a bonus review of one of my other books, Let Nothing Trouble You (about Teresa of Avila). Thanks, Julie, for making me such a “Happy Catholic” today! Today Lisa Hendey also posted her interview with me on her “Catholic Moments” podcast. Thanks so much, Lisa, for a wonderful interview! And for your daily dose of adoptive parenting inspiration, I’d like to alert you to this article about the Caviezel’s adoption — I hadn’t realized until reading the article that their two children had such extensive medical needs! I found the link […]
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May 15, 2008
May 15, 2008
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“I Will Not Be Broken”: The Book by Jerry White, Survivor Corps

I have not read this book … but this looks like a worthwhile read for those who are struggling to rise above circumstances from their past or present. So I wanted to pass it on to you! In his website, White offers five steps to turn “survivors” into “thrivers”: 1. Face Facts. One must first accept the harsh reality about suffering and loss, however brutal. “This terrible thing has happened. It can’t be changed. I can’t rewind the clock. My family still needs me. So now what?” 2. Choose Life. That is, “I want to say yes to the future. I want my life to […]
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January 18, 2008
January 18, 2008
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Painful Truth: A Review of “Silent Prisoner” by Amanda Young (BookSurge Publishing)

From the angry, drunken brawling of her parents’ house to the soul-chilling austerity of a children’s home, eight-year-old April learned early in life that her best chance of survival involved keeping quiet and making herself useful. And so she cultivated a habit of silence. She was silent as she stood in the yard of the orphanage, exposed to the elements, nearly dying of pneumonia. Silent as she endured unspeakable verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. Silent as the only family who had ever shown her kindness died untimely deaths. Silent as she married hastily to escape her childhood horrors, only to find the nightmares multiplied. And […]
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