A Place I Didn't Belong: Hope for Adoptive Moms

Freeman addresses mothers who find themselves overwhelmed when expectations of joy from adopted children succumb to the nightmarish difficulties of reality. In this inspirational tract, she reviews firsthand stories of children who suffer organic damage due to their birth mothers' abuse of drugs and alcohol.%C2%A0These and other unforeseen tragedies can lead to family tension, marital shakeups, and self-reproach on the part of the adoptive mothers. Some mothers%C2%A0experience depression and suicidal thoughts.%C2%A0Freeman plausibly insists that the first step toward healing is to confront one's feelings and admit the toll of these unsatisfied expectations.%C2%A0Her key insight is that the dysfunctional aspects of a difficult adoption cannot be allowed to detract from overall family relations or obscure the%C2%A0well-being of other children in the house. Freeman's enthusiastic Christian-centric advocacy may lessen the audience for her message, but those readers who welcome this approach will find a challenging array of self-help exercises that appeal both to faith and self-reflection.%C2%A0