“Beyond the Blue”, a novel by Leslie Gould
Normally, we review non-fiction books on this blog, but today I wanted to make an exception. This novel was recommended to me by another adoptive mother and after reading it, I wanted to share it with you.
Beyond the Blue is the story of two women. The first is an American woman named Gen who longs for a child, but is unable to conceive. The second is a poor, unwed Vietnamese woman named Lan, who comes to the terrible realization that she cannot care for her children.
The unique thing about this book is that it does not focus on just one part of the adoption triad (for those of you who are not familiar with this term, the adoption triad refers to the individuals involved in adoption – the birth parents, the adopted child and the adoptive parents). Instead, this book focuses on all three parts. The author explains the sadness that comes from realizing that you will not become pregnant. She describes the agony of a mother who will not be able to care for her children and she even explores what it is like to be a young child who is being adopted.
I thought that this was an great book. It really helped me to put myself into the place of my children’s birth mothers and to more closely imagine what it must have been like for them to make such a difficult choice on for the benefit of their children.
This book also provides insight into the experience of adoption. It might be a good one to share with friends and family who have questions about adoption. The book does quickly bypass the paperchase and the wait to travel, but the adoptive parents’ experience in the country as well as their feelings on infertility and adoption are very real and provide a window into what it is like to become a family through adoption.
I found that this was an excellent book that did a great job of capturing the heart and soul of adoption from all sides. I highly recommend this book and believe that it is a helpful step on any adoption journey.