An adoptive mother from Atlanta sent me a book she’d written entitled Jack’s New Family: An Older Child Adoption Story by Dee E. Thompson. It’s about a young Russian boy’s thoughts and reflections on leaving Russia, and entering a new family and a new country.

It’s a universal story as I recognized many similarities between his thoughts and the reactions of three of my daughters that came here from Honduras nearly 20 years ago. The emphasis is on older child adoption as much as it is on Russian adoption.

It’s a children’s book, just 38 pages, and three of my children immediately read it yesterday, marveling that a half side of each page was in the Russian language, a unique and positive aspect to this book; something for Russian adoptees to cling to, something to increase our understanding and respect of a different culture.

I’d advise parents of both international adoptions and older children adoptions to read this sweet book to their children, it goes without saying that every Russian adoptee in the U.S. would benefit from this reassuring look at adoption.

“Everyone here smiles. I had been told Americans smile all the time but I didn’t believe it. Here, everyone smiles! When they see me, and Mom and Chloe tell them about me, they smile a lot.”

Especially here so in the South, and I caught myself smiling at the book when I read this part. “Everything is green. There’s no trash and no mud.” My sentiments exactly as he exclaims about the city of my birth.

Jack’s struggles to understand both adoption and America; his mystification and uncertainty are visible to the reader, it’s a captivating story for all of us involved in adoption. I believe that all adopted children will find something for them to emotionally gain from reading this book, its appeal is for all ages.

It’s a delightful read, holds one’s attention throughout, and can be ordered from United Writer’s Press.