Evelyn Robinson, OAM, has written four books about adoption separation and reunion. This is her first book. What becomes of women who are separated from their children by adoption? Why do so many adopted people feel such a strong desire to seek out their families of origin? In what ways are families with adopted children different from other families? This book by Evelyn Robinson provides the answers to these questions and many others.'Adoption and Loss - The Hidden Grief' was first published in 2000. A revised edition was published in 2003 and the 21st Century edition was published in 2018.

Adoption and loss: the hidden grief.

Originally published in 1993, this classic piece of literature on adoption has revolutionised the way people think about adopted children. Nancy Verrier examines the life-long consequences of the 'primal wound' - the wound that is caused when a child is separated from its mother - for adopted people. Her argument is supported by thorough research in pre- and perinatal psychology, attachment, bonding and the effects of loss.

"Birthdays may be difficult for me." "I want you to take the initiative in opening conversations about my birth family." "When I act out my fears in obnoxious ways, please hang in there with me." "I am afraid you will abandon me." The voices of adopted children are poignant, questioning. And they tell a familiar story of loss, fear, and hope. This extraordinary book, written by a woman who was adopted herself, gives voice to children's unspoken concerns, and shows adoptive parents how to free their kids from feelings of fear, abandonment, and shame. With warmth and candor, Sherrie Eldridge reveals the twenty complex emotional issues you must understand to nurture the child you love--that he must grieve his loss now if he is to receive love fully in the future--that she needs honest information about her birth family no matter how painful the details may be--and that although he may choose to search for his birth family, he will always rely on you to be his parents. Filled with powerful insights from children, parents, and experts in the field, plus practical strategies and case histories that will ring true for every adoptive family, Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew is an invaluable guide to the complex emotions that take up residence within the heart of the adopted child--and within the adoptive home.

Sara Easterly spent a lifetime looking for the perfect mother. As an adoptee she had difficulties attaching to her mother and struggled with perfectionism, suicidal ideations, and fantasy mothers. When she became a mom, her search to find and become "the perfect mother" intensified ... until her mother's death launched a spiritual epiphany.

Nothing can break the bond between a mother and her child. When young Linda finds herself pregnant and abandoned, she retreats to an unwed mothers' home to give birth. "You'll never see him again. You'll forget," they promised her as they took him away for adoption. Time passes, Linda marries, has two more sons and becomes a psychological therapist. But when her youngest asks a life-changing question, she realizes no mother forgets her baby. In this powerful true story, Linda reveals her intensely personal experience when the '50s and early '60s culture demanded girls like her redeem their shame by giving away their babies. Along the way, the trauma and grief she's buried explodes. Her body has never forgotten what she tried to erase from her mind. As Linda embarks on her journey to reconnect with lost family, she knows she must have the courage to face her pain in order to heal the broken young woman left behind the wall of shame and secrecy.

Robinson describes--from a new and exciting perspective--why those who have been separated by family members through adoption often feel a desire to seek them out and also why certain issues arise when such reunions do occur. The text is full of practical suggestions based on her personal experience of adoption separation and reunion and also her extensive counselling career in post-adoption work with adults.