Helen Grigsby Doss (1918–2013)

Helen Doss tells the story of how she and her husband came to adopt 12 children, 11 of them mixed-race, back when it wasn't in fashion. It details the everyday, funny little stories that every family creates in the process of growing up. It's been likened to "Little Women" and I can definitely see that - although I personally liked this one much more.

This is a book that I would love to use as a read-aloud someday with my own future children.

On the adoption side of things, I loved that the Doss' didn't follow the currently-popular model of "not disrupting birth order." Their twelve children were all adopted within roughly ten years of each other, and many are the same age. Although not disrupting birth order may work for some, I feel that love trumps age, and this memoir proves it.

Here's an excerpt that I feel humorously sums up adopting vs birthing (from chapter 18):

' ...I overheard Teddy and our girls talking to one of their young cousins.
"I like your baby brother," the cousin said.
"Us, too," Teddy said.
"Guess what?" the cousin said.
"What?" Susie asked.
"We're going to get a new baby, too."
"Oh."
A respectful and awed silence followed this announcement, then Laura asked, "Is your mother going to the orphanage, and adopt him?"
The cousin was taken aback. "Well, no. She's just going to go to the hospital and have him borned."
Again the silence, then came Laura's consoling voice. "Well, don't feel bad. I expect she'll really get to love him, just the same."
And all our children nodded. '

Update 4/2/19: I read this to my nieces (ages 6, 8, 10) and they all loved it, each rating it 5 stars. The themes and stories in the book also generated some good questions from them.

Update: 12/15/20: My nieces had been begging me to read this one to them again! It sparked new discussions this time around.… (mere)

I happened upon a YouTube video recently, of this couple on Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life and I was intrigued by the woman, Helen Doss, the author of this book. She and her husband were on Marx's show and when they were asked how old their children were, she hesitated a moment, b/c she had 12 children, all adopted and many were the same ages. She and her husband Carl were mavericks in their day, adopting mixed race children during the postwar 40's and 50's, when most orphanages wouldn't allow it.
I looked her up then, and saw she'd written a book about their experience adopting.

This was a fascinating read, not just b/c of her unique experience of adopting so many kids, but b/c of her down home style of writing. Doss shares little anecdotes of the children's conversations, along with comments made by neighbors and her and her husband's own insights and fears, and the result is a fast, easy interesting read.… (mere)