by Scott Simon
First published 2010
Scott Simon receives the first tiny photographs of two girls living thousands of miles away. These strangers will become his daughters through adoption. Simon and his wife Caroline navigate the complex process of international adoption, from paperwork and waiting to the moment when small arms wrap around their necks for the first time. The journey includes sleepless nights filled with worry, bureaucratic hurdles, and the gradual transformation from hopeful parents to an actual family. Simon weaves together his own experience with stories from other adoptive families, both famous and ordinary. He captures the anxiety that comes with loving children you have never met, the tears that accompany joy, and the particular challenges adoption brings. The book follows Scott and Caroline as they learn to become parents while their daughters learn to trust new caregivers. Through daily moments of connection and struggle, four individuals discover what it means to choose each other and build a family across continents and cultures.
Genres: family, non-fiction, biography-memoir, adoption
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
192 pages · Hardcover · Random House