Adult Adoptee Anthologies:

Books compiled as a collection of numerous adoptee voices can be an excellent way of learning about the wide variety of experiences that exist within adoption. Both anthologies and memoirs are great resources for this, but anthologies are often more concise and a quicker read, and so ideal for those with limited time. Either way, taking in both the similarities and differences, along with their subtle shifts in nuance and individual perspectives, offers a way of recognizing commonalities while not overly boxing adoptees into definitions and beliefs that are too confined to be accurate. It also gives adoptees the opportunity to correct or reframe what is being, or has been said about adoptees through the history of adoption narratives that have largely been written by those who are not adopted. For fellow adoptees, reading anthologies and memoirs can be both illuminating and relieving as we may see ourselves reflected in pieces by the words of fellow adoptees, while also gaining a broader understanding of our individual identities and boundaries of self that can come with the reflection of similarities and differences.

This Anthology list is intended to share all known adoptee anthologies, not to indicate which have been read and or recommended by Heather Gonzales or Encompass Adoptees. These details ca be found on the recommended book lists page. If you know of an additional book that should be added here, please send an email through the contact tab and we will be happy to add the title to the list..

Adoption Therapy: Perspectives from Clients and Clinicians on Processing and Healing Post-Adooption Issues (Chapter 2 is not informed by an adoptee voice, but all other chapters are)
Adoption Reunion in the Social Media Age: An Anthology
Black Anthology: Adult Adoptees Claim Their space: A diverse Exploration of the Black Adoptee Journey
Decoding Our Origins: The Lived Experiences of Colombian Adoptees
Flip the Script: Adult Adoptee Anthology
Lions Roaring Far From Home: An anthology by Ethiopian Adoptees
Lost Daughters: Writing Adoption From a Place of Empowerment and Peace
Mixed Korean: Our Stories: anthology
Parenting as Adoptees
Perpetual Child: Dismanteling the Stereotype: Adult Adoptee Anthology
Seeds from a Silent Tree: An Anthology by Korean Adoptees
The Adoptee Survival Guide: Adoptees Share Their Wisdom and Tools
The “Unknown” Culture Club: Korean Adoptees, Then and Now
Through Adopted Eyes: A Collection of Memoirs from Adoptees
Vietnamese Adopted: A Collection of Voices
Please note - We’ve Been There, written by Susan Telos is Not, an adoptee anthology, although it is marketed similarly. The adoptive parent who authored this book specifically only chose young adoptees and chose what portions of these adoptee’s stories to publish- She does not quote adoptees but writes in her words, with the option to censor, adoptee voices.

Triad Anthologies:

Ghost at Heart’s Edge: Stories and Poems on Adoption (an anthology by the triad - adoptees, birth parents and adoptive parents)
The Adoption Reader: Birth Mothers, Adoptive Mothers, and Adopted Daughters Tell Their Stories
Through Adopted Hearts: A Collection of Memoirs From Birth and Adoptive Parents
Through the Lens of Ourselves: Adoptees, Adoptive Families, and Birth Families: Our Collective Adoption Stories

NOTE: Lists in the Resources section are not intended to be exhaustive and include every single item, but are mentioned as a jumping off point to encourage a stance of constant learning in order to build adoption, foster, and kinship individual, families, and our community as a whole. That being said, if there is an item missing that you would like to be considered for inclusion, please feel free to contact us with additional information.