Gain Mamalita: An Adoption Memoir Articulated By Jessica ODwyer Shown As Softcover

fastpaced and heartfelt read, I could've done with more interrogation into the complexities of international and trans racial adoption, particularly given the heinous corruption described in the book, I loved this memoir of a procedurally tough Guatemalan adoption, which I know others who've lived through, It reminded me of Love in the Driest Season, An unflinching look at both Guatemala and its corrupt systems, and at adoptive parents, besides, It's an exciting and even suspenseful read, as well, and more great exploratory inner memoirhow much is the author capable of, and how much can she take more than "parenting memoir.
" Heartbreaking and realistic. Really, a good, good good story, plus one that made me think a lot differently about parenthood, I love books on adoption for some reason and this one really was interesting to me as it took place in the country where I grew up and a lot of it in my town.
About a North American couples hardship with the adoption proccess,

Read it on my Kindle Beautiful, personal memoir about adopting from Guatemala, This book hit all the right notes for me because it was nuanced and complex, This real life adoption story was gripping, Having gone through adoption domestic adoptions, I couldnt always relate to her international adoption struggles but I could understand, The effort she put forth was mindblowing and the corruption and hoops she had to jump through sounded miserable, I dont know that I would have had the patience and persistence, Adoption is complicated but worth it because the kids need homes, I loved the ending and the photos in the back of the book reading this has made me want to read every adoption memoir written!!! I enjoyed this fast read about an international adoption between the U.
S. and Guatemala in several places that I have been to, The corruption aspect of adoption in Guatemala is disturbing since it relates to some of the most vulnerable people on Earth, Having to deal with it for the greater good is also disturbing, No clear answers here people do what they have to do to get their child home, I don't know if it is good that the system is different now, Does changing the players in adoption mean it is cleaner now I somehow doubt it, This gripping memoir details an ordinary American woman's quest to adopt a baby girl from Guatemala in the face of overwhelming adversity, At onlyyears old, Jessica O'Dwyer experiences early menopause, seemingly ending her chances of becoming a mother, Years later, married but childless, she comes across a photo of a twomonthold girl on a Guatemalan adoption website, and feels an instant connection,  

From the getgo, Jessica and her husband face numerous and maddening obstacles, After a year of tireless efforts, Jessica finds herself abandoned by her adoption agency undaunted, she quits her job and moves to Antigua so she can bring her little girl to live with her and wrap up the adoption, no matter what the cost.
Eventually, after months of disappointments, she finesses her way through the thorny adoption process and is finally able to bring her new daughter home,  

Mamalita is as much a story about the bond between a mother and child as it is about the lengths adoptive parents go to in their quest to bring their children home.
At turns harrowing, heartbreaking, and inspiring, this is a classic story of the triumph of a mother's love over almost insurmountable odds, Wow. Lots to say about this one, can't say I'm satisfied with the way this author portrays corruption in GuatemalanUS adoption, This was a wonderfully written adoption memoir, What Jessica and her husband Tim went through to adopt their daughter from Guatemala was an utter nightmare, The obstacles, red tape, lies, excuses, the denigration, and misrepresentations were unbelievable,

This memoir was part adventure story, travel story, love story and the unconditional fierce love that a mother feels for her child, Jessica was a much stronger, courageous and braver woman than she ever thought she was, To endure the heartbreaking and harrowing moments that she did, is a direct testament to her deep love for her child, Olivia,

Jessica and her husband Tim, a dermatologist, did everything their adoption broker asked them to do including submitting birth certificates, filing forms, letters all on time however, the broker Yolanda they had gotten themselves involved with was less than honest with them and wasnt doing her job.
I hope someone shuts people like her down! Honest, caring, loving people are going to these countries to adopt babies that no one wants, or ones that the Moms just cant afford and want to see their child have a better life in America but when you end up dealing with someone like Yolanda and her contacts, it makes an already stressful task all that more taxing and traumatic.


The bond between Olivia and Jessica is unbreakable, thanks to Jessica who finally went to Guatemala in the end and stayed for an entire month! I dont want to ruin the

story and tell you where she and Tim had gone, what they did and why Jessica ultimately decided to rent an apartment there for a month.


This book was mesmerizing and I read it in one sitting, I just couldnt put it down! Thank you Jessica for reminding us all of the children waiting for parents like you and Tim, and for reminding us that in order for some of us to receive children, someone else has to lose theirs.
I applaud both you and Tim for what you have done and for what you have given your children, A new life packed full of love and the feelings of being wanted and needed,

Was disappointed. A friend gave it to me and enjoyed it, I thought it read like a short story that had gone too long, MY REVIEW:
Seal PressOctober,Trade PaperbackISBN:
Jessica O'Dwyer is the adoptive mother of two children born in Guatemala, Olivia and, Mateo,
Jessica and her doctor husband went to hell and back trying to get their daughter out of Guatemala, It wasn't the most pleasant experience of their lives, Dealing with corrupt people, knowing who to trust and who not to trust was one of their biggest hurdles, From lost documentation to coverups it didn't seem as though this couple was ever going to get Olivia home to America,
The strength and courage they showed in the face of adversity and threats was humbling, Jessica eventually moved to Guatemala to live there with Olivia in the hope of expediting the process but it still took over a year to get her out of the country.
The reading was riveting and I read this book in one sitting, it was an amazing story to say the least,
I commend them both on their dedication, motivation, and stamina to stay with the program against all odds, No matter what was thrown up in their faces, they trudged on and found a way through the muck and mire, Exceptional memoir!
I'm still not sure how I feel about this book, It is the first book I've ever read about my country and its heartbreaking depiction of the maya indigenous and the poor remind me why, I think it is a good story and I admire the author for tenacity and her honesty, but at the same time, I found it judge mental and I resent her.


As I read the last pages and get to the end, I see the picture of Olivia and she looks just like my sister, Our parents were there for the civil war and we were some of those who sought refuge in the US in the's, my relatives still live there in those mountains and walk those dirt roads and I guess it hit a little too close for comfort,

I do recommend the book if you are looking for information and experience with adoption, I am glad Jessica never gave up on Olivia and I think it's wonderful she works so hard to make sure Olivia knows she is adopted but also loved and that she even found the birth mother and grandmother.


In our culture, the older women who take care of us get the total of mamaname, My own grandmothers are mama Gina and mama Angelita, That Ana was the one to give her the mamalita name was beautiful, This is a story that show just how far we will go for our children, Jessica does a great job pulling the reader into her time living in Guatemala to bring her daughter home, As a fellow adopter of a daughter of Guatemala, I was especially interested in her descriptions of what goes on behind the reception desks in a Guatemalan adoption,

If you are looking for a feelgood, quickread, possible tearjerker at the end this is a book for you, If you are considering international adoption from any country, I recommend this, This is not a "howto" but a blunt account of the person you might need to become to bring your child home, I read this book as quickly as humanly possible while also being responsible forkids, It was an easy, but incredible, read, I'm not sure it is for everyone, but as an adoptive mom of a Guatemalan child, I loved it! See our review the Decemberissue of HS radio e magazine Coming out December,at sitelinkwww.
harlotssauce. com.