I just finished one of the most delightful books I have read in a long time, “No Biking in the House without a Helmet” by Melissa Fay Greene. It is the story of an everyday, Jewish family who decides to expand from having four biological children to eventually nine, through adoption.
There are a couple of interesting threads you get to follow through the story. The first is the process of adoption. While everyone’s story is different, it gives you a good feel for what it might be like.
What especially struck me were the initial feelings of that first adoption. That even though it was something the family had agreed upon, there were moments of doubt. There was even concern about being able to bond with the adopted child.
While adoption is a wonderful thing, it isn’t easy. I like that this story shows the other side of it, such as how difficult the transition can be. Whether you are raising your own or someone else’s child, there will be mountaintop experiences along with times in the valley.
The other thread you follow is the travels to other countries and how different each culture is. The first child is adopted from Bulgaria and the remaining four are from Ethiopia (with two of them being brothers). The author provides a glimpse into what their lives were like and how differently they lived before coming into their family.
I also appreciated the mother’s fortitude in making sure the adopted children never became so Americanized that they lost touch with their background and culture. She was so good at intertwining it into their lives.
In the process of expanding their family however, some of her biological children begin to grow up and move out. So you get to see the seasonal changes of parenting mixed in with the addition of new children.
There is a lot of emotion in this book—a ton of laughter (especially those crazy moments that happen in a family). I almost felt like I was drawn right into the middle of their house, able to sit at their kitchen table and just observe their life.
Whether you are a family who has adopted, has interest in adopting or maybe has never even considered it, there are so many relatable moments that anyone would enjoy this story. For my family, adoption is not something we would do (although, we did foster two children for a short period of time) but I certainly enjoyed reading this book.
Although I received this book free, in exchange for a review, I would have gladly paid for it, now knowing how truly enjoyable it was.
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