A pretty good story that was sensitively written. ( )

For me this was just an okay read. I thought the storyline was interesting but the ending was overly dramatic and I never connected with the characters. ( )

A compelling read to be sure but I have such a mix of feelings about it that I am still trying to sort through. Definitely worth a read if you want a feel for the complex issues surrounding adoption. ( )

A compelling read to be sure but I have such a mix of feelings about it that I am still trying to sort through. Definitely worth a read if you want a feel for the complex issues surrounding adoption. ( )

Brief Description: Chloe Pinter works for the domestic program for the Chosen Child adoption center. Her job? Convincing pregnant women to give their child up for adoption and then facilitating the process from beginning to end. A challenging job filled with heartbreak, uncertainty and elements of danger, things become especially complicated when a couple who gave their baby up for adoption begin to have second thoughts and take matters into their own hands.

My Thoughts: The main reason I read this book was to learn more about the process of adoption. I’ve not read many books that dealt with adoption, and I imagine it is a difficult process. The strength of this book is that Hoffman (who worked in Romanian orphanages and as a director of a U.S. adoption program) knows this world inside and out. (FYI: The book is set in Portland, Oregon, which allows for open adoption, which means the birth parents get to pick the adopted parents and keep in touch if they want.) We get to see things from all different angles: the adoption center worker tasked with ensuring that adoptions go through; the couple considering giving up their baby; the couples who want to receive a baby of their own. It is gut-wrenching stuff—filled with emotions ranging from selflessness to desperation to greed and almost every emotion in between. Hoffman uses the plot to look at two basic questions: What if the parents who gave a baby up for adoption changed their mind afterward? What if a couple desperate for a baby for years finally got what they wanted … and found it wasn’t as amazing imagined? These are two interesting questions, and I think Hoffman does a good job of exploring all the different angles associated with adoption. The plot gets a little wonky and unbelievable at times, but the details felt true and I was willing to overlook the plotting issues to learn more about the world of adoption. ( )