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Dear Linda, An adoptive father's open letter to the birthmother of his child

by Anonymous

88 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #01-0338; ISBN 1-55212-936-5; US$14.00, C$15.95, EUR11.50, £8.00

In an open letter format, "Dear Linda", expresses the adoptive father's appreciation for the birthmother's decision in lovingly giving up her birthchild for adoption. The book , often humorous and sometimes emotional, chronicles the life of a special ten year old girl.

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about the book      about the author      sample excerpt      catalogue info

About the Book Ten years ago I became the adoptive father of a beautiful baby girl. The joy of nurturing my daughter to the brink of her teenage years has been the most fulfilling time of my life. She also has given me the noblest title of all. I am a father. Often during the past decade my thoughts have returned to the memory of a meeting with a young pregnant girl. A young girl whose ultimate, loving decision changed the course of my life. I wonder if her thoughts reach across the distance to reflect about her birth child and me. Is she emotionally troubled? Is she at ease with her decision? Does she need to be comforted by the knowledge that her birth child is being raised in a loving and stimulated environment? "Dear Linda," is an open letter to the birthmother of my child. But it is more. It is an open letter to all birthmothers from the perspective of an adoptive father. Not only does it express profound thanks for a mature and heart wrenching decision, it expresses love. "Dear Linda," details the events of the past eleven years. Many times emotional and oftentimes humorous, the reader is taken from the tribulations of a couple's infertility to the rigors of the adoption process. Later, the life of a special girl is chronicled. This revealing glimpse of my daughter's life will erase any lingering doubts that the birthmother may harbor about her decision. One learns that a selfless, loving act has positively impacted not only a child and a couple but also an extended family. The birthmother will learn that she touched the lives of several people in ways that she initially couldn't have imagined.

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About the Author Anonymous

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Sample Excerpt - Preface

Perhaps you, the birthmother of my child, have been emotionally troubled during the past decade. Let me assure you that your child, my child, is well. Dispel any negative thoughts you may have about your decision of ten years ago. Don't be distressed about the indiscretions of your youth. Your acts of love have touched and enriched the lives of numerous people.

Your name may not be Linda. My daughter's name may not be Nicole. But, as you read these words that express the love of an adoptive father toward his daughter, you will indeed realize that you are the birthmother. The words that express the love, hopes and fears for one's child apply universally. These words represent the expressions of all adoptive fathers directed toward the birthmother of their child.

Without you, I would not have felt the outer range of love. Without your selfless, courageous act, my life wouldn't have acquired new meaning. Because of this selfless act of love, I have attained the noblest title of all. I am a father.

As an adoptive father, I am reticent to divulge my personal, private relationships. I fear that in doing so I may jeopardize that very privacy. While I feel gratitude and a strong affinity toward you, I am uneasy when I think of the probable, or even inevitable, contact between you and Nicole. Some well-publicized cases of failed adoptions have perhaps left me paranoid. Therefore, while all accounts of Nicole's life are factual, they will be well masked in a veil of generalities.

The purpose of this open letter is not to critique the adoption process or to comment on teenage indiscretions. Rather, it is to reassure you that your adoption decision was correct. Your birth child is in a loving and enriching environment. I want to thank you for your act of love and courage. I hope the following words reassure you.

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Catalogue Information

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