Adoption Matters: Orphan Train to Modern Day Nonfiction Short Stories of Adoption & Foster Care

Title Adoption Matters: Orphan Train to Modern Day Nonfiction Short Stories of Adoption & Foster Care 
Author Dianne L. Rowe
Publisher:  Dianne L. Rowe
ISBN-10: 057861524X

ISBN-13: 978-0578615240

ASIN  B0847J48XX
Price $10 paperback, $4.99 Kindle
Page Count 208 pages
Formats (PB, Kindle)

A brand new book with a variety of adoption stories has just been published. Fifteen writers tell of their own experiences. The children were in orphanages abroad, adopted directly from hospitals, were foster children, or even arrived by orphan train. We hope you will enjoy our book!

Dianne L. Rowe had the initial inspiration for this book. She wrote three stories for it which included one about her mother who was adopted from an orphan train. She adopted a child through Catholic Charities and so that is one of her other stories.

Ann Kalin writes a detailed story as she adopted two children from two different adoption agencies in Minnesota. When one agency said they were only placing one child per family, she found she could adopt another with a different one.

Christopher Luehr is a storyteller, attorney, professional speaker, coach, dinner-table comedian, and North Minneapolis resident. Through his organization, Joyful Noize (joyfulnoize.net), he helps mission-driven organizations promote their message through story. You can be assured he has an excellent story in the book.

John Strahan says, “This is a story that I have told more than once and am willing to tell it to anyone who will listen. Without fail, it brings tears to my eyes and warmth to my heart. I gladly responded to Dianne Rowe’s request to share our story. It is over 53 years old but still worth telling.” It is a charming story.

Lois Miller Caswell has two stories in the book as she also adopted two of her three children. With her fantastic memory for details, readers will feel like they are talking to her over a cup of coffee in the kitchen while enjoying the stories.

Leif Wallin received a phone call and the caller said, ““Leif sit down. We found her. She was from Great Falls, Montana. Her name was Sandy.” Intriguing, isn’t it? The story is pretty amazing.

Esther Holgate beings her story this way: “There once was a very little girl who was born in the far-away country of South Korea.” This is a story of adoption from an orphanage in Seoul, South Korea.

David Zander was born in London. In July 1940, During WW2, at a time that America had not yet entered the war. He says, “My first memories are of war, being carried down into an Air raid shelter during the nightly air raids.” To top it off, he found out his first family was not his birth family when he was still very young. His story is quite interesting.

Dawn McClean learned she was not the eldest child in the family after all. How could that happen? You can imagine, but this story tells of her feelings about learning the truth.

Mary (Marge) Smith had to have her family vote about a situation related to adoption, It was not for the actual adoption, but part of a rather complicated story. In the picture on the left, you can see Marge with Patti.

E. Irene Theis says, “Saturday, July 30th, 2016, was the special day when I first met Stephanie, my granddaughter, and Susan, my great-granddaughter.”  Another amazing story!

Jackie Maher and Katie DeCosse now see each other often, but it wasn’t true over the decades they could not find each other. They each have stories in this anthology.

Irene Reuteler tells a family story which is about the adoption situation for relatives. She was able to predict the future to some extent and help guide them to successful adoption.

Carolyn Wilhelm also has a story of an adoption from South Korea through the Children’s Home Society located in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has also authored children’s picture books about the experience.

Thank you for reading, Carolyn Wilhelm

Carolyn Wilhelm is the author of The Wise Owl Factory site and blog. She has an MS in Gifted Education and second educational masters in Curriculum and Instruction K-12.

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Orphan Train Trials (Hearts on the Rails Book 2) by Rachel Wesson

Title Orphan Train Trials (Hearts on the Rails)
Author Rachel Wesson
ISBN-10: 179167383X

ISBN-13: 978-1791673833

ASIN:  B07J5DC368
Price $11.99 Paperback, $ 7.49 Audiobook, $3.99 Kindle
Page Count 348
Formats (PB, Audiobook, Kindle)

Reviewed by Carolyn Wilhelm

Orphan Train Trials is book two in the Hearts on the Rails series by Dublin author, Rachel Wesson. How does an author imagine life in America from the early 1900s from so far away as to time and distance? Rachel Wesson does just that for so many of her historical fiction books.

The children who rode the orphan train became close as possible and sometimes were actual siblings. They watched out for each other as much as they could, usually living apart. Some children became indentured servants much too young, some met fates that were even worse, and some were loved as the program intended. Oh, to be a lucky one, but that is not what happened with all the adoptees in this story. 

Bella tries not to become attached to the orphans she chaperones on the train ride to various towns where people just said they would take the children -- and the children were given to them. However, Bella cannot help herself from loving six-year-old twins. There was no application, no formal "vetting," and no actual knowledge of what would happen. People did try to check a year later, but often it was after abuse and neglect had occurred. 

It almost seemed this book was written for a middle grades audience as it is an easy read although touching on abuse topics. So the intended audience is adults although abuse is vaguely described. We do understand what the abuse is without getting the actual details. 

Rachel Wesson on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15024927.Rachel_Wesson
Rachel Wesson on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorrachelwesson

Thank you for reading!

Carolyn Wilhelm, UDEMY Instructor for Self-Publishing from the Very, Very Beginning

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page and in a tab at the top of this blog's home page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites so it may be used a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Carolyn Wilhelm's Early Learning Interracial Adoption Story

Title: Alex Asks About Auntie's Airplane Day
Subtitle: An Adoption Day Story
Author: Carolyn Wilhelm
Illustrated by: Pieter Els
An Easy Reader Book (2017)
ISBN: 9780999776612
Reviewed from a paperback copy.

Forever the teacher, Carolyn Wilhelm writes not only for the story but also to build vocabulary. Interest builds as children ask, "What is an airplane day?"  Ever the teacher, Wilhelm also introduces a child to terms they may not have yet learned like "lug wrench."  This story will help any young reader or listener know more about adoption, understand it better, and helps prepare them for accepting diversity no matter what their color, too.

The illustrations are reminiscent of color paper cutouts, colorful and graphics.

MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The idea for this book occurred to Carolyn Wilhelm when she saw her two-year-old grandson watch his Auntie Betsy from South Korea and seemed to wonder how she fit into the otherwise white family. Wilhelm says, "who knows shat he was thinking, but it appeared he was noticing Auntie
s eyes and skin color.  Wilhelm decided a book could help her grandson and other young children with older, adopted relatives understand a little about adoption. The author runs Wise Owl Factory, LLC, Minnesota. Readers, teachers, and parents will find her Wise Owl teaching materials, many of them absolutely free on Pinterest. Learn more about the author at www.thewiseowlfactory.com

MORE ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Pieter Els also illustrated "Surfer Kids Clip Art." "Jeffreys Bay," and "South Africa." Learn more at www.surferkiddies.com

In the time-honored tradition of the publishing industry, the reviewer of this book received a copy of the book at no charge..

MORE ABOUT THIS BLOG AND GETTING REVIEWS

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Of particular interest to readers of this blog is her most recent How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically (http://bit.ly/GreatBkReviews ) that covers 325 jam-packed pages covering everithing from Amazon vine to writing reviews for profit and promotion. Reviewers will have a special interest in the chapter on how to make reviewing pay, either as way to market their own books or as a career path--ethically!

This blog is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.