Rating: 
Summary: Not What I'd Expected
Review: After reading many of the previous reviews, I ordered this book, hoping it would aid me in the process of figuring out my feelings regarding my recent reunion with my birthfamily. I eagerly waited the three days for the book to arrive in the mail. When it arrived, I immediately began to dive into it. I felt immensely let-down. I expected the book to be forthright, honest, and all-encompassing in its treatment of the adoption experience, especially that of the adult adoptee. This book had more to do with the "primal wound" of adoptees (i.e. the loss of one's birthmother), and working on one's "inner child" than anything else. This is NOT what I was looking for. There was entirely too much "I'm Okay, You're Okay" sort of therapy-babble in this book for me to take it seriously. There's a lot of "give your inner child a hug" sort of stuff, which i just found sappy and nauseating. In addition, this book assumes that ALL adoptees, regardless of their situations or histories, must be feeling the SAME things. I agree with a previous reviewer in saying that this book does too much generalizing and stereotyping, which isn't right or fair to ANYONE. This book seems to be based largely on the author's own experiences, as well as a limited number of persons encountered in a therapeutic setting. Again, the main reason I did not find this book helpful was that it deals with issues that I'm not facing at this point in my healing process. It discusses in great depth (perhaps TOO great of depth?) losses felt by the infant adoptee, but doesn't pay nearly enough attention to the search and reunion process and the emotions it surfaces. This book MAY be helpful to a reader who is dealing primarily with issues of abandonment, or loss of a birthmother, as it focuses more on the past than on the present. Helpful aspects of this book include lists of "myths and facts" about adoption and adoptees, and some of the visualization exercises, among others. In short, I did not find this book to be helpful, but someone in a different situation might.
Rating: 
Summary: FINALLY!
Review: Even if you had a wonderful adoption experience (admittedly, I didn't), adoption brings with it certain issues throughout life. It's about time people realized that the adoption DOES NOT end when the court papers are signed. I've noticed that there doesn't seem to be a middle ground in adoption - adoptees either had a very good experience or a very bad experience, when all we ever wanted was a normal life. Adoption takes part of your normality away when it happens. Should be required reading for prospective adoptive parents, to help them deal with the unique needs of their adopted children
Rating:
Summary: I can't believe it!
Review: He wrote about me! It is like the author got inside my head. The author xplained me to me. This book is fantastic. I highly recommend it to everyone. I heard good things about it from my therapist, but the book is better than it's billing. Buy it!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Healing Tool for the Suffering Adoptee
Review: I agree with others that not all adoptees are in pain. But for the ones who are, this book offers step-by-step guidelines on how to move past the pain in the realm of forgiveness and contentment. As an author and psychologist myself, I believe 100% that the only way out of the pain is through the pain. Add this book to your adoption bookshelf, you won't be sorry. Kasey Hamner, M.S., author of "Whose Child?" and "Adoption Forum"
Rating:
Summary: This book holds a mirror up to our hearts
Review: I am not an adoptee but I feel that much of what Joe Soll describes in his book has got to be true. I cannot imagine an adoptee not feeling the pain, sadness and anger of having been relinquished by the mother. Yet, our own daughter, adopted at four days of age, insists that she has never had an identity crisis and has not suffered. Several of her classmates were adopted and are also not preoccupied by their past, nor have they initiated a search for their birthmother. We are now happily reunited with our birthmother (who found us) and our daughter still says she is not any happier now than she was before meeting her mother.I still want to agree with Joe Soll that repression may be at work here. I want her to read this book. Gisela Gasper Fitzgerald, author of ADOPTION: An Open, Semi-Open or Closed Practice?
Rating:
Summary: The Best Self-Help Book for Adoption Healing
Review: I am thrilled someone has finally written a book that directly deals with self-help treatment for the adopted person. Adoption Healing explains the psychological processes an adopted person goes through in their life, and the effect on him or her. It then gives simple exercises to help overcome the trauma of adoption. Even in a loving supportive adoptive family, the adoptee has suffered from the trauma of separation from his or her birthmother and family of origin. An adoption search and reunion is only part of the process necessary for those who were separated from their birthfamily to heal. This book helps in completing the healing process. Unfortunately, those affected by an adoption need to work on their issues through self-help support groups and books as there are very few mental health professionals who understand the affect of the adoption experience on the adopted person and birthmother. This book helps fill that gap. Adoption Healing is not just for adoptees. Birthparents and adoptive parents can learn a great deal about what their child has endured through adoption, and ways in which they can help their child, whether a youngster or adult. Therapists can develop a treatment protocol for their adopted clients. I have been waiting for a book like this since I started working with adoptees and birthmothers 14 years ago as a post-adoption emotional support group leader. It will help me help others. Additionally, it will help me deal with my own trauma of being adopted at birth in 1950. Although, my reunion is years past (and a "good" one), I plan to go back through the book chapter by chapter and do the exercises. Just a quick read has already begun to effect my emotions.
Rating:
Summary: Finding Our Way to Healing...
Review: I continue to be stirred by the great teachings of Adoption Healing. As a birthmother and healing facilitator, I have been enriched, enlightened and relieved to learn the truth that has been revealed in Joe Soll's book. As the tragedy of adoption, and its healing is addressed in this book, I find myself both shocked and comforted. After three decades of living in unspeakable anguish, I now have the knowledge, the information and insights that guide me to my own healing regarding the relinquishment of my first child. Joe Soll has, with great passion, let the world know how sacred and enduring the mother/infant bond truly is. I hope this book will be read by all who are touched by adoption. Jane Guttman, Author, The Gift Wrapped in Sorrow
Rating: 
Summary: Too generalized, assuming and stereotypical.
Review: I have read several books in an attempt to resolve my own adoption issues. I found this book to be very generalized, assuming and stereotypical. This book was very frustrating for me because it "cans" adopted people into one type of developmental response, and doesn't offer differing perspectives. I found The Primal Wound by Nancy Newton Verrier to be a much more insightful book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent - healing
Review: I highly recommend this book as an adoptee in reunion. Adoption is often misunderstood. Reading some of the bad reviews of this book I can see that. Adoptees are often in denial about their true feelings. Once out of this denial, we have quite a bit of healing work to do. This book will show you how. Those brave enough to do it will be a new person.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent - reveiw from adoptee
Review: I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to understand the heart, soul and mind of an adoptee and/or birthparent. He shows adoptees and birthmothers their path to healing. You might say - what healing. The truth is adoption = loss and loss = need for healing. Read this book and your life will change.
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