Rating: 
Summary: Finally, the truth about the JOYS of Romanian Adoptions!!!
Review: I applaud Victor Groza for finally writing a book that sees the glass of water as half full instead of half empty. As the parent of two adopted children - one from Romania the other from Bulgaria I feel it is time that someone tell the truth - international adoptions while sometimes start out on a sad note can have the happiest of endings. My children are both very beautiful, intelligent and well adjusted children. To say that the information in his book is inaccurate and unprofessional is a terrible disservice to a truly remarkable and dedicated person who has devoted his life to giving the public accurate and informative information regarding international adoptions. It is my daughter who appears in the before and after pictures in the book. She is now a seven year old and in the first grade and functioning at the appropriate level for a first grader. She is also in the 70th percentile for height and weight. I think that it is about time some people realize that maybe it is them and not their child that has problems. Especially the person who feels their true identity was not fully hidden. It would be a great tragedy to have this book taken off of the market/shelf. It represents the first real efforts anyone has made to present Romanian adoptions positively. Victor is constantly researching medical and psychiatric data and to say it is misleading or he did not consult with "real" experts is an insult to all of us who have had successful international adoptions.
Rating:
Summary: A Peacock or a Crow?
Review: My daughter was adopted from Romania at 18mths of age weighing only 13 lbs. She is now a happy, very healthy 8 year old who is ahead of grade level in school.After reading Professor Groza's book, I find it to be very informative and an excellent representation of the situation at that time in Romania. I see no reason to believe why people would think that Mr. Groza's research would be anything less than accurate. I myself participated in his study and have no reason to lie. We all knew the risks involved in such an adoption. I myself have no medical records for my daughter. I think the real reason some people are writing bad reviews is because they did not get that "Gerber Baby" or the perfect child. I wonder if you all realize the unnecessary stress you are causing prospective adoptive parents with your negativity and the terrible disservice you are doing to the tens of thousands of children still waiting for homes. It is so sad to see some peoples vendetta against one man hurt innocent children. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in pursuing a foreign adoption. It tells the whole story bad, and good. AND THERE IS ALOT OF GOOD!
Rating:
Summary: Helpful Book for All International Adoptive Parents
Review: There are many how-to-adopt-quickly books but very few that truly prepare prospective parents for the adoption experience and what comes later. "A Peacock or a Crow" is a comprehensive overview of Romanian adoption by Americans, but it is so rich and thorough, it is an excellent choice for anyone adopting a child from any other country or culture. We not only need this book in the US adoption community, we need more books of this type, the ones that convey the whole adoption experience with honesty, instead of sensationalism. -Rita Laws, co-author of "Adoption and Financial Assistance: Tools for Navigating the Bureaucracy"
Rating: 
Summary: irresponsible
Review: This book falls short of what one would expect of an academician such as Victor Groza.It is poorly documented;it is inaccurate historically,and his chapter re: Charlotans is completely irresposible,unethical,rude, insensitive,and ridiculous.That chapter is filled with all kinds of innuendos-sexist,racist,etc.As a social worker he is clearly in violation of NASW ethics.His attempt at paradoy is pitiful.While he vaguely attempts to disguise internationally known experts in the field of adoption,he fails-everyone who knows who is who knows the individuals to whom he is referring.This book is of no value to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: Not Even Close To The Truth Or A Scientific Work.
Review: This book is a true disgrace, as Groza's work is not valid, scientifically proven, speculative, and insulting (with his bizarre sarcasm). For those of us who really know the Romanian Child Welfare situation, he is way off base and needs to be sanctioned. I agree with the other critics who seem well-informed experts in the field, whereas Groza has produced a book no where in reality. He should be ashamed for his insulting innuendoes to real experts in the field.
Rating:
Summary: Not Accurate, Not Scientific, Not Helpful
Review: We bought this book in hopes of reading something valid about the Romanian Child Welfare issue and were very disappointed. The authors clearly were off base in their data, research and descriptions of the problems. As University Professors in EE affairs, and coordinating research with medical/psychiatric experts here and in Romania, the authors clearly have wrong facts regarding the country's true political history and traumas under a dictatorship. Accuracy was left out and the authors added speculation and fragments of the country's troubled history.
The reviewer from N. Carolina must be a relative or friend who participated in this research, but the truth is that, without actually taking care of these special children or conducting proper research on the topic, this book is inaccurate. The book lost all credibility when the authors drifted off into fantasy tales in the midst of such a serious topic.
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