Surrender is the perfect title for this book. The author has experienced so much of that in her life, for her own birth mother surrendered her at birth, and then she in turn surrendered her baby when she was pregnant and unwed at age 16. While there may be plenty of memoirs about adoptions, this story is unique in that the author/birth mother went on to marry the father of the child given up for adoption just two years after the child's birth.
The personal photograph of the author as a newly-adopted infant helps readers to understand the author's emotions as she frankly discusses that feeling of never really fitting in with the family who adopted her. I liked the fact that author Marylee MacDonald discusses her mental struggles with her husband's career choices as a university professor. The writing continues to be realistic with the inclusion of some bitter comments exchanged between husband and wife as they try to sort out the trajectory of their life together. One such memorable, albeit not laudable, comment was when her husband reminded her that his career as a professor was what allowed her the freedom to call herself a writer.
I am not a person who thinks of memoirs when asked to write my favorite type of book. However, after reading the first few chapters, I knew I wanted to read the rest of Surrender and recommend it to others.
The personal photograph of the author as a newly-adopted infant helps readers to understand the author's emotions as she frankly discusses that feeling of never really fitting in with the family who adopted her. I liked the fact that author Marylee MacDonald discusses her mental struggles with her husband's career choices as a university professor. The writing continues to be realistic with the inclusion of some bitter comments exchanged between husband and wife as they try to sort out the trajectory of their life together. One such memorable, albeit not laudable, comment was when her husband reminded her that his career as a professor was what allowed her the freedom to call herself a writer.
I am not a person who thinks of memoirs when asked to write my favorite type of book. However, after reading the first few chapters, I knew I wanted to read the rest of Surrender and recommend it to others.