Part 1 Curious as to what the mega-bookstore had in stock, I asked the clerk for the location of books about books on adoption search and reunion. After a silence and a quizzical look, he finally offered that they might be mixed in with all the other adoption books. There were 2-3 shelves of books on adoption. Amongst all the books, I was pleased to see both of Nancy Verrier’s books, "The Primal Wound" and "Coming Home to Self".

However, though I found a wide of assortment of books on a million different ways to adopt, there was not one single book on search and reunion. Nor were there any books about birth mothers and adoptees. I do know that this particular large chain has not supported an annual event for ISRR (Soundex), an interational adoption registry, so perhaps the store is anti-search and reunion? I just found it odd that in the largest bookstore that I have ever seen (and I am a bookstore aficionado), there wasn’t a single book on search and reunion. Not even the highly popular recent book of Ann Fessler “The Girls Who Went Away” was in this store.

If I hadn’t noticed this in other book stores, and some libraries, I might not have thought much about it. However, I have noticed that the pickings are slim for these books most places that you choose may look for them. Adoption conferences and retreats however, have a healthy contingent of books and authors ready and willing to personalize your book.

Makes me wonder. Are there really that few people searching and reuniting? Internet numbers suggest otherwise. Do people buy on-line to avoid having to buy a book on such a private subject in a store? Are birth mothers and adoptees mainly so well-adjusted that we have no need for books on healing or dealing with grief? I know that's not the case.

So, what's the deal? A dastardly plot to thwart search and reunions? I doubt it. I am not implying that. I am just making an observation that books on how to adopt seem abundant. Books about birth parents, how to raise adopted children, how to heal from adoption wounds, or how to search and reunite are far less common.

Not to worry,
here are the search and reunion choices at Adoption.com; they have many of my favorites.