Surrender: A Memoir of Nature, Nurture, and Love by Marylee MacDonald It is a moving coming-of-age story about adoption straight from the heart. The author's memoir chronicles a life of difficult circumstances and heartbreaking decisions and her lifelong path to healing. From the first few paragraphs, you will be touched by how adoption shaped her--from birth, through her formative years, and later, as a teenager and the surrender of her firstborn child from an unplanned pregnancy. The author captures the feelings, turmoil, and issues of living with uncertainty, confusion, and lack of support. You begin to realize that a significant number of adopted children must experience some of the same emotions and struggles. Her craving to sort out nature/nurture is a significant theme, as is her quest to nurture the child inside that lost out on so much. The book begins with MacDonald immediately disclosing that she'd had a child out of wedlock who was put up for adoption, Marylee signing away her rights in perpetuity as she penned her name on a dotted line. Later, she marries her lost son's father, and the two have more children. MacDonald has great difficulty coming to terms with her loss, understanding the need for an individual to know their genetic history as an adoptee herself, but also in filling the dark void that had established itself in her life following John's adoption. Their reunion is an emotional experience, and after describing it, MacDonald backtracks to the history that brought her story to fruition.
Surrender is an exceptionally well-written memoir that is immersive from the beginning. Marylee Macdonald wastes no time getting to the heart of the matter, which is helpful in an autobiography about a non-celebrity and engages a reader in a way that makes them want to carry on. I loved the honesty MacDonald sustains through the narrative, a whole-hearted truthfulness that puts her struggles in the light of authenticity. While she does attach her motive for putting John up for adoption as a norm for the time, she also makes clear the regret and hardship that follow a decision made by a naive sixteen-year-old in an incredibly tricky situation. It's incredible to me that MacDonald, her first husband John, and her second Bruce, we're all educated and accomplished, a distinguished circumstance that separates MacDonald from the usual stereotype of women raised during the time. This is an extraordinary story that I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read.
From all angles, adoption seems to have permeated the author's life, and she has a beautiful way of conveying all the nuanced thoughts that come with it. I like that the book reads like a fiction novel and a memoir, complete with exciting dialogue, conflict, and pacing. MacDonald's style is honest yet full of grace. I like that she gives a brief introduction to her adoption and the surrendering of her son. Then, backtracks slowly pull you into the story and her inner conflicts and how they affect her relationships, decisions, and self-image. The opening dialogue with her husband, Bruce, about moving to Phoenix is a priceless slice of life. It's about control, and you can cut the tense realism with a knife. As the story moves through its arcs and her desire to connect with her oldest child, you will be drawn deeper and deeper into it until you become a part of this woman's life in a way and will find yourself relating to her, even though you may or may not have any experience with adoption. Surrender: A Memoir of Nature, Nurture, and Love by Marylee MacDonald is a must-have for your reading pile.
Surrender is an exceptionally well-written memoir that is immersive from the beginning. Marylee Macdonald wastes no time getting to the heart of the matter, which is helpful in an autobiography about a non-celebrity and engages a reader in a way that makes them want to carry on. I loved the honesty MacDonald sustains through the narrative, a whole-hearted truthfulness that puts her struggles in the light of authenticity. While she does attach her motive for putting John up for adoption as a norm for the time, she also makes clear the regret and hardship that follow a decision made by a naive sixteen-year-old in an incredibly tricky situation. It's incredible to me that MacDonald, her first husband John, and her second Bruce, we're all educated and accomplished, a distinguished circumstance that separates MacDonald from the usual stereotype of women raised during the time. This is an extraordinary story that I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read.
From all angles, adoption seems to have permeated the author's life, and she has a beautiful way of conveying all the nuanced thoughts that come with it. I like that the book reads like a fiction novel and a memoir, complete with exciting dialogue, conflict, and pacing. MacDonald's style is honest yet full of grace. I like that she gives a brief introduction to her adoption and the surrendering of her son. Then, backtracks slowly pull you into the story and her inner conflicts and how they affect her relationships, decisions, and self-image. The opening dialogue with her husband, Bruce, about moving to Phoenix is a priceless slice of life. It's about control, and you can cut the tense realism with a knife. As the story moves through its arcs and her desire to connect with her oldest child, you will be drawn deeper and deeper into it until you become a part of this woman's life in a way and will find yourself relating to her, even though you may or may not have any experience with adoption. Surrender: A Memoir of Nature, Nurture, and Love by Marylee MacDonald is a must-have for your reading pile.