Our Baby From China: An Adoption Story
by Nancy D'Antonio
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Book Summary Information
Author: Nancy D'AntonioPhotographer: Nancy D'Antonio
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1997-01-01
ISBN: 0807561622
Number of pages: 24
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Book Reviews of Our Baby From China: An Adoption Story
Book Review: A review from the author
Summary: 5 Stars
Twelve years after publication this book is still a big hit in our house!
As the author of this book I would like to clarify the opening sentence that has led to mis-interpretation by readers. One reviewer wrote "...the first page indicated the Chinese peoples'/birthparents inability to love these children..." That is not what I wrote. The book states "She lived in China with a group of girls and boys who didn't have mothers or fathers to love them." I never implied that the orphanage staff, Chinese people or birth parents had an inability to love these children. The truth is that there was no contact between the birth parents and the orphanage. During that period, orphanage conditions were extremely poor. It was overcrowded and the children did not look happy.
It is the sad truth. In order for a child in China to be placed for adoption, they must be declared an orphan which requires that a 3 month period must pass during which time police attempt to locate birthparents. After that, they can be declared an orphan and then placed for adoption. Some orphanages had foster care programs which may have provided more individual care, but this was not the case in many areas.
I have never implied to my daughter than her birthparents didn't love her. In my heart I believe that she was loved, which is why she felt her losses so deeply and profoundly. When a child has faced the challenge of extreme neglect and trauma most adoption professionals advise against pretending that they were completely surrounded by love and comfort. That is misleading and can create confusion if the child feels a deep sense of rejection and loss. Scientific studies have shown that any infant who is removed from its mother at birth will experience a sense of loss. It is hard to feel loved when you spend hours and hours crying and hungry and no one is available to meet your needs. The circumstances of abandonment in China are unknown and while the government's one-child policy is a plausible reason, we also know that it is not the only reason and therefore need to consider all possibilities until we find out otherwise. Those are the reasons why I worded that first sentence the way I did.
I initially wrote this book as a gift for my daughter's second birthday and at the suggestion of a friend, sent it to a publisher. It has since sold over 12,000 copies. My daughter loved it then and is still very proud of it now, at age 15. I have read it aloud to second, third and fourth grade classrooms with great success to broaden awareness of Chinese adoption. It has been extremely helpful for my daughter's non-adopted peers, even today as a teenager. It explains in simple language how the process works.
My daughter is now a happy teen who is proud of her Chinese heritage and is looking forward to visiting China and her orphanage. And she still loves this book.
Nancy D'Antonio
Summary of Our Baby From China: An Adoption Story
With simple text and lovely photographs, Nancy D'Antonio tells about the adoption of Ariela Xiangwei. To learn about the land their new daughter comes from, the author and her husband travel to China.Adoption Books
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