Birthright: the Guide to Search and Reunion


"Birthright: the Guide to Search and Reunion" by Jean Strauss
The first book ever published by a major house on the issue of search and reunion, Birthright remains in print fifteen years after it was first released, a perrenial for the adoption community. It can be purchased through amazon.com:

About.com Reviewer Nancy Ashe:
Despite the subtitle, “Birthright” is not your everyday how-to book. Strauss makes use of controversial opinions from columnists, authors and others to mirror a debate that continues years after she first wrote about it, in individual families, courts and public forums. Whatever our views, “Birthright” allows us to read side-by-side accounts from all parties and hear real people in their own words. While compassionate, Strauss doesn’t shy away from the strong emotions that many feel about and during search and reunion. Some of the stories bring tears and others produce an immediate rush of anger, but each serves the purpose of encouraging us to acknowledge our own feelings – wherever they fall within the spectrum. As we are guided through the steps, the author never lets us forget to consider our motives and the impact our actions (or lack thereof) might have – not only on ourselves, but also on others.