Open Adoption Book Review

reviewed by Katharine Swan

Open Adoption

by Bruce M. Rapport, Ph.D.
MacMillan Publishing Company, 1992

Regardless of the reasons why you’re considering it, open adoption may seem a scary undertaking, or at the very least overwhelming. Open adoption can be particularly difficult to consider because the traditional alternative – closed adoption – seems so much simpler in comparison: you just get handed a kid, allowing you to focus your relationship-building efforts all on the child, rather than the child and its mother. The thought of a lifelong connection with the birthmother terrifies a lot of prospective adoptees.

Bruce M. Rappaport, author of The Open Adoption Book, has worked with open adoptions for a long time. He has seen and heard all of the concerns – on both sides, that of the adopting parents and the birthparents. In order to further his work advocating open adoption, Rappaport has written The Open Adoption Book to explain the process in detail, and hopefully assuage some of the fears adopting parents and birthparents may have.

From beginning to end, The Open Adoption Book is a user’s manual for the process of open adoption. Rappaport starts out by explaining why it can be so difficult to adopt, moving naturally into an explanation of why open adoption is the better choice – for all parties. He confronts and debunks myths about open adoption, presents an honest picture of the long-term relationship established through open adoption, and discusses the importance of counseling during the process. With a well-organized delivery of information and an easy-to-follow writing style, The Open Adoption Book is a valuable resource for anyone considering an open adoption.

With this simple, straightforward, yet information-packed book, Rappaport has presented a clear picture of what open adoption really means for everyone involved. If you are confused, alarmed, or even sure about having a child via open adoption, this book is a must-read. The Open Adoption Book is exactly what it sounds like: the book to consult if you are considering open adoption.

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