Abandoned at Birth, Janet Sherlund
Abandoned at Birth, Janet Sherlund
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Abandoned at Birth
Searching for the Arms that Once Held Me

Author: Janet Sherlund

Narrator: Janet Sherlund

Unabridged: 7 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/07/2024


Synopsis

In Abandoned at Birth, Janet Sherlund explores the inherent need adopted children have for a sense of belonging and the pain and courage that is required to discover their true identity.Adoption is often painted as a happy, inspirational act—a baby finds a family and lives happily ever after. But the truth is that adopted children experience displacement and rupture from their mother and that trauma can impact an individual for a lifetime. Adoption can lead to feelings of loss and grief not just for the adoptee, but for the biological and adoptive parents as well.This startling fact comes vividly to life in Janet Sherlund’s heartbreaking memoir, Abandoned at Birth. In her literary debut, Janet Sherlund explores the complex issues so many adoptees and their parents grapple with, including the complicated emotions of rejection, loss, grief, denial, and shame.Sherlund, who was given up for adoption within days of her birth, shares her journey to fulfill her lifetime longing for connection with her family of origin, her instinctive ache for connection with her birth mother, and what it was like to have a “borrowed identity.” In poignant detail, Sherlund describes her quest to find out who she is, where she came from, and why she was given away. And she reveals the pain and courage required to discover one’s true identity.With five million adoptees in the U.S., many of whom are discovering their biological roots on DNA websites, Abandoned at Birth is the book for our time. The insight Sherlund derived from her journey will encourage and console others on the same path, while examining the inherent need of all of us to belong, and understand our origins, our culture, and our genetic roots.

About Janet Sherlund

Janet Sherlund raised her family and served on nonprofit boards in education, health, and the cultural arts before writing her memoir, Abandoned at Birth. Her single most significant life event was being given up for adoption at birth. Being adopted made her feel as though she was living a “borrowed life,” undermined her sense of trust and personal value, and impacted every decision she made. It also led to a lifelong quest to find her biological mother with the hope of finally feeling a tether to this world, a sense of belonging, and ultimately, herself.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Blaine on September 04, 2024

Adoption is a highly personalized topic and one that has major positives as well as drawbacks for the parties involved. In her new book, Abandoned at Birth, author Janet Sherlund takes us on her personal journey as an adopted child. Sherlund writes about the downside of adoption, something that she......more

Goodreads review by Mari on May 18, 2024

I absolutely loved this telling of the author’s adoption experience. We’re the same age, so her story really resonated with me. She was able to articulate the complicated web that is adoption and the lifelong impact it has. I particularly liked her expression “a borrowed life.”......more

Goodreads review by Liana on July 24, 2024

*Note:* I came ran across this book in BookTrib LitPicks Summer 2024 Hottest Books list. A memoir about adoption, identity, and the search for belonging. The Trauma of Adoption “The essence of trauma, at its purest level, is disconnect from the self.” ~Dr. Gabor Maté The quote by Dr. Maté succi......more

Goodreads review by Patti on June 11, 2024

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Moss Media Group, and Janet Sherlund for the advanced reader copy of the book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book. If you begin reading the memoirs posted by adoptees, you’ll begin to see the common theme that run......more

Goodreads review by Anastasia Kar on May 13, 2024

Most people have wondered from time to time about their heritage. In most cases, that’s easily solved: ask a parent, like you do with so many things of everyday life. If not a parent, then a grandparent, or an aunt or uncle…An older family member usually keeps the memory alive on the family heritage......more