Part 1: Adoption Fiction Book Review: Beyond the Blue


Part 2: A Chat with Author, Leslie Gould


Part 3: More chit-chat with Author, Leslie Gould


Part 4: Fiction Book Review: Scrap Everything

In previous posts in this series, I reviewed Leslie Gould’s most recent adoption-themed novels, Beyond the Blue and Scrap Everything. Today, I’m featuring the author herself, as she relates her family’s journey to adopt their daughter from Vietnam.

Share a little about your own family’s adoption story.

Peter and I have three bio kids and had talked about adopting for several years. His uncle and aunt had adopted twin infant boys from Vietnam and then his parents, when they were in their late 50s, adopted three older children from Vietnam.

When our youngest child was in the third grade, we did a double take and realized if we were going to adopt, we had better get moving! We started the paperwork in September 2000 and traveled in June 2001. We were assured that all of Thao’s paperwork was completed before we traveled, but once Peter and I (we left our older children home with friends and family) arrived in Vietnam we discovered that her paperwork was “lost.” It took 4 ½ weeks to complete the adoption. The paperwork uncertainty and being away from our other children that long was excruciating. It was a lesson in faith for me—although Peter was fairly calm through the ordeal.

But, as it turned out, because we were there that long Thao was really able to bond with Peter and me before being thrown into the non-stop busyness of an American family. We also had the opportunity to meet her birthmother twice, which was an immeasurable blessing. It opened my eyes clearly and widely to Thao’s grief and her mother’s grief.

The seeds of Beyond the Blue were planted in those two meetings as I began processing my own grief for my daughter, whom I loved so much, and for her mother, whom I also instantly loved.

In what ways do you see God working through adoption?

I truly believe that God chooses our children specifically for us, whether adopted or bio. We know adoption is in his plan as we think of those adopted in the Bible—including Jesus (adopted by Joseph) and Moses (I often think of Thao and the other children adopted in our extended family as “babies in the basket” and wonder what future plans God has for them). Paul writes about us being adopted by God in Ephesians 1. Not only is it in God’s plan, but he uses the concept of adoption to explain our redemption through Christ.

Still, adoption is painful. Every adoption is about both loss and gain. Every adopted child must deal with issues of rejection and abandonment, and as their parents we must love them through their pain, pray for God’s healing, and get them professional help when needed.

So, although adoption is definitely in God’s plan, it wasn’t his original plan. His original plan was for us to be in the Garden, whole and unmarred. Like so many other things in this world, God works great good through adoption as he creates families and opportunities, but we can’t ignore the loss and grief that is very real for our children and their birth families.

Visit Leslie’s Website:
http://www.lesliegould.com/

Leslie’s Blog:
http://lesliegould.typepad.com/