Adoption Unfiltered: Revelations from Adoptees, Birth Parents, Adoptive Parents, and Allies

Written by Sara Easterly, Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, Lori Holden and Joyce Maguire Pavao

Narrated by Sara Easterly

Adoption Unfiltered authors Sara Easterly (adoptee), Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard (birth parent), and Lori Holden (adoptive parent) interview dozens of adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, social workers, therapists, and other allies-all sharing candidly about the challenges in adoption. While finding common ground in the sometimes-contentious space of adoption may seem like a lofty goal, it reveals the authors' optimistic aim: working together with truth and transparency to move toward healing.

Healing isn't possible, though, without first uncovering the hurts-starting with adoption's central players: adoptees, who are so often in pain, suffering from what the latest brain science validates as the long-term emotional effects of separation trauma. By encouraging others to vulnerably share their stories, the authors discover that adoptees aren't the only ones in the adoption constellation who are hurting. Birth parents regularly shut down after being shut out by adoptive parents. Adoptive parents often struggle with unique parenting challenges and hidden insecurity, feeling the need to hide the fact that they are not the Super Parents they led the agency to believe they would be. Across the industry as a whole, misinformed and unethical practices abound. This book models the importance of adults in adoption working together in the spirit of empathy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Feb 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9798855504408

Sara Easterly

Sara Easterly is mom to two tenacious daughters and daughter of two amazing moms-both her adoptive mom and her birth mother. She enjoys supporting other mothers in their journeys and has a passion for helping others understand the often-misunderstood hearts of adopted children. Sara's children's book, Lights, Camera, Fashion!, illustrated by Jaime Temairik, garnered an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award and Parents' Choice Silver Honor, among other awards. Her essays and articles have been published by Dear Adoption, Feminine Collective, Her View From Home, Godspace, Neufeld Institute, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and Seattle Neufeld Community. Previously Sara led one of the largest chapters of the SCBWI, and she was recognized as SCBWI Member of the Year. Find her online at www.saraeasterly.com.

Reviews for Adoption Unfiltered

[Claire Brooker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent! A must read for anyone considering, in, and imacted by an adoption.