cover image Finding Our Families: A First-of-Its-Kind Book for Donor-Conceived People and Their Families

Finding Our Families: A First-of-Its-Kind Book for Donor-Conceived People and Their Families

Wendy Kramer and Naomi Cahn. Avery, $18 trade paper (288p) ISBN 978-1-58333-526-0

With more than one million donor-conceived individuals in the world, the need for transparency within all facets of that community—children, siblings, parents, extended families, and donors—is as much a right as it should be a requirement. That assertion forms the basis for the guidelines that Kramer, cofounder and director of the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR) and the mother of a donor-conceived child, and Cahn, a law professor focused on family law and reproductive technology, present in this timely volume. From raising a child with full disclosure to addressing the origin story of a child who has without warning been made aware of it, the authors provide appropriate courses of action and suggestions for maintaining supportive and honest communication. Questions from donor children—What does my donor look like? Can I meet him or her? Do I have any half siblings?—are addressed in detail, as are steps that can be taken to find the answers. In addition to providing suggestions for search resources, the authors include checklists and talking points for how, when, and where to connect, as well as suggestions regarding long-term contact. The book successfully honors its promise to deliver the tools necessary to help donor-conceived children discover and explore their genetic legacies. Agent: Bridget Wagner Matzie, Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency. (Dec.)