Newer Releases Recommended by the AKA Board

I Would Meet You Anywhere, a memoir by Susan Ito. 
When We Become Ours: A YA Adoptee Anthology, by Shannon Gibney
Adult Adoptees and Writing to Heal, by Liz DeBetta
A Ghost At Heart’s Edge: Stories & Poems of Adoption, co-edited by Susan Ito
Healing Tree: An Adoptee's Story About Hurting, Healing, and Letting the Light Shine Through, by Danielle Gaudette
What White Parents Should Know about Transracial Adoption: An Adoptee's Perspective on Its History, Nuances, and Practices, by Melissa Guida-Richards
Adoption Unfiltered: Revelations from Adoptees, Birth Parents, Adoptive Parents, and Allies, by Sara Easterly, Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, and Lori Holden, foreword by Joyce Maguire Pavao, Ed.D.
Searching for Mom: A Memoir, by Sara Easterly with Linda Easterly
The Open-Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole, by Lori Holden with Crystal Hass
You Should be Grateful: Stories of race, identity, and transracial adoption, by Angela Tucker
I Choose This Day:  Mournings and Miracles of Adoption by Sharon Fieker Cummins and Lori Smith
​Goodbye Again:  A Memoir by Candace Cahill
​Omma, Sea of Joy and Other Astrological Signs by Bo Schwabacher
Bastards: A Memoir, by Mary Anna King
All You Can Ever Know, by Nicole Chung
Rose's Locket, by Shannon Quist
Searching for Mom: A Memoir, by Sara Easterly
The Truth So Far, by Jennifer D. Ghoston
Inheritance: A memoir of genealogy, paternity, and love, by Dani Shapiro
Black Anthology: Adult Adoptees Claim Their Space, by multiple contributors
God and Jetfire: Confessions of a Birth Mother, by Amy Seek
Hole in My Heart: Love and Loss in the Fault Lines of Adoption, by Lorraine Dusky
The ShoeBox Effect: Transforming Pain into Fortitude and Purpose, by Marcie Keithley
One Woman's Choice, by Karen Whitaker
Bitterroot: A Salish Memoir of Transracial Adoption, by Susan Devan Harness

Lending Library

One of the benefits of AKA membership is use of the AKA lending library. Books may be checked out by emailing [email protected].
If you live in the Austin area or surround and see a book on the list you would like to borrow, especially those that are not available through your local library, just send us an email and we will get it to you. Checkout length is typically one month.  

Still don't see what you are looking for? Check out ​Reunion Land Bookshelves: Adoptees, DCPs & Fostereds. They offer popular, well-told and engaging books from the adoption, donor-conceived, & foster care communities, curated by booklovers. Unlike some online booksellers, they are independent of any adoption agency, ART clinic, or Amazon, instead supporting local booksellers through Bookshop/Indiebound.

Adoptee, Search and Reflections

• All You Can Ever Know by Chung
• Roses Locket by Quist
• Searching for Mom: A Memoir by Easterly
• The Truth So Far by Ghoston
• Inheritance by Shapiro
• Black Anthology: Adult Adoptees Claim Their Space -
  multiple contributors
• Tapioca Fire by Gilbert
• You Don't Look Adopted by Heffron
• 360 Square by Welsh
• A Bridge Less Traveled Twice Visited by Anderson and Tucker
• Adoption Triangle by Sorosky, Baran & Pannor
• A Wealth of Family by Brooks
• Adoption Reunions by McColm
• All About Adoption by Lanchon
• Being Adopted:  The Lifelong Search for Self by Brodzinsky, Schecter & Marantz
• Courageous Blessing Adoptive Parents and the Search by Demuth
• Family Secrets by Leitch
• Journey of the Adopted Self by Lifton
• Search: A Handbook for Adoptees and Birthparents by Askin
• Searching For A Past by Schooler
• Searching for the Castle by Ohrstrom
• The Adoptee Survival Guide:  Adoptees Share Their Wisdom and Tools by Grubb
• The Adoption Searchbook by Rillera
• The Face in the Mirror by Crook
• The Search for Anna Fisher by Fisher

Birthparent Perspectives

• God and Jetfire: Confessions of a Birth Mother by Seek
• Hole in My Heart by Dusky
• The ShoeBox Effect by Keithley
• One Woman's Choice by Whitaker
• A Birth Mother’s Day Planner by Marsh
• Birth Mother Trauma by Carlini
• Birthmark by Dusky
• Birthmothers by Jones
• Birthmothers: Women Who Have Relinquished Babies For Adoption Tell Their Stories by Jones
• Confessions of a Lost Mother by Brown
• Dear Birthmother, Thank You for Our Baby by Silber and Speedlin
• I Hope You Have a Good Life by Armstrong
• Lifegivers Framing the Birthparent Experience in Open Adoption by Gritter
• Out of The Shadows: Birthfathers Stories by Mason
• The Prodigal Father by Bryan
• Saying Goodbye to a Baby by Roles
• Thank You, Son, for Finding Me by Kane
• The Gift Wrapped In Sorrow by Guttman
• The Girls Who Went Away by Fessler
• Within Me, Without Me by Wells

Adoptive Parenting

• How To Open An Adoption by Dorner
• 20 Things Adoptive Parents Need to Succeed by Eldridge
• Adoption and the Schools by Wood and Ng
• Adoption is a Family Affair by Johnston
• Adoption Parenting by MacLeod and Macre
• Adoptive Parent Intentional Parent by Manning
• Becoming a Family by Eshleman
• Building the Bonds of Attachment by Hughes
• Children of Open Adoption by Kathleen Silber and Patricia Martinez Dorner
• Connecting with Kids Through Stories by Lacher, Nichols, and May
• Cross-Cultural Adoption by Coughlin and Abramowitz
• Crossing the Blue Willow Bridge by McCabe
• Does Anybody Else Look Like Me? by Nakazawa
• How It Feels To Be Adopted by Krementz
• Intercountry Adoption China by Rojewski and Rojewski
• Journeys After Adoption by Schooler and Norris
• Making Sense of Adoption by Lois Ruskai Melina
• Nurturing Adoptions by Deborah Gray
• Parenting Your Adopted Older Child by McCreight
• Parenting Your Internationally Adopted Child by Cogen
• Raising Adopted Children: A Manual for Adoptive Parents by Lois Melina
• Real Parents, Real Children by Holly van Gulden and Lisa M. Bartles-Rabb
• Telling The Truth To Your Adopted Or Foster Child by Keefer & Schooler
• The Adoption Life Cycle by Rosenberg
• The Dragon Tribe by Gray
• The Girl Behind the Door by Brooks
• Therapeutic Parenting by K. H. Kim
• Toddler Adoption: The Weaver’s Craft by Mary Hopkins-Best
• Whose Child? By Casey Hamner

Prospective Adoptive Parents

• Adopted Family by Rondell & Michaels
• Adopting in America by Hicks
• Adoption:  Parenting without Pregnancy by Canape
• Adoption and the Jewish Family by Rosenberg
• Adoption Choices by Paul Adoption Resource Guide by Guilianelli
• Adoption Factbook by the National Committee for Adoption
• Adoption Nation by Pertman
• Adoption Resource Guide by Guilianelli
• Adoption Without Fear by Gritter
• Abby’s Road:  The Long and Winding Road to Adoption by Curry
• An Open Adoption by Caplan
• Beating the Adoption Odds by Martin and Groves
• Dave’s Way by Thomas
• How to Adopt Internationally by Erichsen
• How to Get Babies by Maverick
• International Adoption by Knoll and Murphy
• Is Adoption For You by Adamec
• Journey Through State Adoption by Reeves
• Parenting Pregnant Teens by Lindsay
• Rain Forest Girl by Miner
• Reaching Out by Handel
• So you Want to Adopt Now What? By Dorman and graham
• Strangers and Kin by Melosh
• Successful Adoption A Guide For Christian Families by Gillespie
• Taking Charge of Fertility by Johnston
• The Adoption Decision:  15 Things You Want to Know Before by Christianson
• The Adoption Resource Book by Gilmen
• The Complete Adoption Book by Godwin and Godwin
• The Lesbian and Gay Parenting Handbook by Martin
• The Idiot’s Guide to Adoption by Ademec
• The Limits of Hope by Loux
• The Open Adoption Book by Rappaport
• The Open Adoption Experience by Melina Roszia
• The Private Adoption Handbook by Michelman and Schneider
• The Pumpkin Patch by Schwartz
• The Wallace Dream The Adventures of the Baby Seekers by Maxwell
• You’re Our Child: The Adoption Experience by Smith and Miroff

Miscellaneous

• 20 Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew by Eldridge
• Adoptee Trauma by Carlini
• Adopting a Child with a Trauma & Attachment Disruption History by Fraser
• Adoption Awareness by Lindsey
• Adoption Charms and Rituals for Healing by Severson
• Adoption In America Coming Of Age by Aigner
• Adoption The Grafted Tree by Wishard and Wishard
• Adoption: A Handfull of Hope by Arms
• Adoptive Kinship by Kirk
• Adoption Politics:  Bastard Nation & Ballot Initiative 58 by Carp
• An Ancient Tear by Schaefer
• Brothers & Sisters in Adoption by James
• Dim Sum, Bagels & Grits by Alperson
• Don’t Think Twice by Pennebaker
• Family Wanted by Holloway
• For Love of a Child by Garfield
• Gathering Home by Covington
• Helping Children Cope With Separation and Loss by Jarratt
• Imagining Adoption by Novy
• Legendary by John
• Lethal Secrets by Barran and Pannor
• Lost and Found:  The Adoption Experience by Lifton
• Love Is An Open Door by Bair
• Michael Reagan On The Outside Looking In by Hyams
• Open Adoption: A Caring Option by Lindsey
• Openness in Adoption Exploring Family Connections by Grotevant and Ruth G. McRoy
• Overextended…and Loving It by Harper
• Patty’s Journey by Norling
• Perspectives on a Grafted Tree by Johnston
• Primal Wound:  Understanding the Adopted Child by Verrier
• Sacred Connections by Koenig
• Shadow Mothers by McKay
• Shadow Train by Taylor
• Shedding Light on… The Dark Side of Adoption By Riben
• Sudden Family by Phan
• The Adoption Reader by Wadia-Ells
• The Art of Forgiving by Smeades
• The Family of Adoption by Pavao
• The Gift by Danielle Steel
• The Lost Boy by Pelzer
• The People They Brought Me by Partridge
• The Secret Gift by Johnson and Woolridge
• The Secret Life of The Unborn Child by Kelly
• Therapeutic Parenting by Kim
• To Love and Let Go by Arms
• Wake Up Little Susie by Solinger

Children’s Books

• A Birthparent’s Book of Memories by Romanchik
• A Forever Family by Wong
• Amy Angel Goes Home by Lathrop
• Come to the Gathering by PyroWriters
• Did My First Mother Love You? By Miller
• Emma’s Yucky Brother by Little
• Happy Adoption Day by McCutcheon
• Hootah’s Baby by Green
• How I Became a Big Brother by Moore
• It’s Time To Let You Know by Riedler
• Kids Like Me In China by Fry
• Lifebooks: Creating A Treasure For The Adopted Child by O’Malley
• Lucey’s Feet by Stein
• Megan’s Birthday Tree by Lears
• Mommy Far, Mommy Near by Peacock
• Mother’s Day In March by Valeri
• Never Never Never Will She Stop Loving You by Durrant
• Oliver by Wickstrom
• Over Land and Sea by Layne
• Pugnose Has Two Special Families by Kruzel
• Searching for the You We Adore by Westfall
• Tell Me a Real Adoption Story by Lifton and Nivola
• Tell Me Again About The Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis
• Ten Days and Nine Nights by Heo
• The Best Single Mom In The World: How I Was Adopted by Zisk
• The Chosen Baby by Wasson
• The Mulberry Bird by Brodzinsky
• The Sea Chest by Buzzeo
• The Story of Che by Dougherty
• Twice Upon-A-Time by Patterson
• Two Birthdays for Beth by Cronin
• What Are Parents by Kyme and Fox-Lee
• Where Are My Birth Parents? By Gravelle and Fisher
• Why Was I Adopted by Livingston
• Zachary’s New Home by Liemiuex

Media

• Closure (DVD) by Tucker
• First Person Plural (DVD) by Liem
• For the Life of Me (DVD) by Strauss
• Open Secret (DVD) by Lickteig
• That’s a Family! (VHS) by Chasnoff