Product Description

This novel is an account of one adoptee's life story written for members of the adoption community, helping professionals, or anyone touched by adoption. It spans from relinquishment through reunion to help the reader develop a better understanding of the lifelong emotional aspects of adoption and reunion.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #174623 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 308 pages

Review
A brave story--told with honesty, a remarkable memory and lots of feeling. A provocative work for all members of the adoption triad. -- Dorothea S. McArthur, Ph.D., adoptive mother, clinical psychologist and author of Birth of a Self in Adulthood

A must read for anyone whose life is touched by adoption. Whose Child? is a gut-wrenching story of Kasey's struggle... -- Joe Soll, CSW, DAPA, Psychotherapist and Author of Adoption Healing ...A Path to Recovery

A winner in the arena of adoption literature! Kasey Hamner, adoptee and author of Whose Child? describes herself as a "run-of-the-mill, garden variety adoptee," but her book is anything but run-of-the-mill. It is a frank, open account of her difficulties with relationships, self-esteem, and substances, and how her reunion with her birth family helped heal her wounds. It is well written and poignant in its honest story, which will help other adoptees, birth parents and adoptive parents understand the complexities of the issues associated with adoption and the importance of reunion in the lives of adoptees. Finally, adoptees are writing their own stories! -- Nancy Verrier, M.F.T., adoptive mother and author of The Primal Wound: Understanding the Adopted Child

This is truly a 'must read' book for anyone that is part of the adoption triad. -- Julie Goldsmith, birthmother

Throughout Kasey Hamner's story of growing up adopted and her reunion, I felt a sense of connection to her and to my own personal adoption story. Kasey provides and extends a true sense of healing for other adoptees. Instead of dwelling on the past, Kasey made the choice to make something of her life. Her story is very brave and has such a wonderful healing spirit. -- Trish Lay, adoptee and director of the documentary, "No I'm Not, I'm Adopted."

Whose Child? is a must-read for all significant others of adoptees. -- Donald L. Cormier, significant other of an adoptee

Whose Child? is an important story, both delicate and powerful. This autobiography has a richness of detail and emotional poignancy that intrigues the reader. This book will inspire people who have undergone their own traumas to overcome their pain and partake of life as it is, rather than as it was. -- Sanford R. Weimer, M.D., M.P.H., psychiatrist

From the Author
I grew up in the Los Angeles area and now reside in La Crescenta, CA. I have a master of science degree in counseling and I am a practicing school psychologist and a licensed educational psychologist. I work with special needs children, many of whom have been abandoned in some way. I was adopted in the closed adoption system over 32 years ago and have been in reunion since 1994. I decided to write this book in order to promote my own healing and to help bring healing to all those touched by adoption.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
It was the evening of Monday, December 5, 1994, only two months after I had made the decision to search for my birth mother. I was sitting quietly at home studying for winter term finals, the first set of finals of my graduate school career. I had the windows drawn, a dim light illuminating my desk where I sat and studied the intricacies of learning disabilities and memorized definitions and terminology. I demanded complete quiet when I studied, so the TV and radio sat silent. You could have heard a pin drop. Only the intermittent sound of light rain on the windows created any noise at all.

Suddenly the phone rang, sounding remarkably loud in my bubble of silence. My friends, ever respectful of my academic aspirations, knew about finals and would never call if they knew I was busy studying. When I answered, the sound of an elderly woman on the other end of the line confounded me even more. The only other elderly woman who ever called me was Elizabeth, but she was long gone now.

"Is your name Kasey Hamner?" she asked, and I immediately assumed it was a saleswoman since I did not recognize her voice.

Customer Reviews

Amazing book for anyone touched by adoption
As an adoptee, I could relate to Kasey Hamner's book in very many ways. I almost felt like I had written it in some parts. Knowing that she went through the same events/issues that I did was comforting, especially the fact that she conquered them and is a healthy, productive citizen. Too many people only view adoption as a wonderful thing, something that every infertile couple (or fertile) should do. But have they ever asked an adoptee or read any of the books? I'm not saying that adoption is a bad thing, but for those of us whose birth mothers were forced by societal influences,or by family to give us up, there can be terrible results.

I wish that everyone who knows an adoptee could read this book, especially adoptees who have reunited with birth family members, as I have. No one really understands unless they have been through it. It is a frightening and wonderful experience. Read this book and find out what it was like for her.

Whose Child?
This is the best book I've read so far on adoption. It's the closest book to reality I've read. A lot of books have sugar-coated adoption issues. I tried to e-mail the author to no avail. I've read about 20 books so far this year on the issue, so this is a good testament to the writer.

Powerful
As an adoptee I felt so much for the author, her strength is unbelievable. It is so well written and brutally honest. Its an amazing journey, you won't put this book down.