Hole in My Heart

Meticulously researched, her story shows how she slowly became a major force in the advocacy for open adoption. -Drucilla Cornell, professor emeritus Rutgers University A tour de force full of insight and inspiration. -Richard Uhrlaub, President, Adoption Search Resource Connection Her devastating research shows that the scars she and her daughter received from the adoption industry were not unique. -Marianne Novy, founding co-chair of the Alliance for the Study of Adoption and Culture . . . should be required reading for all parents who are contemplating placing a child or adopting . . . -Elizabeth Jurenovich, director of Abrazo Adoption Services, San Antonio I felt that I was listening in to Lorraine's experiences across the years somewhere between her heart and her skin. -Pam Hasegawa, former board member, American Adoption Congress Hole in My Heart will change the way people think about adoption. -Florence Fisher, founder of ALMA (Adoptees Liberty Movement Association) Dusky shines a spotlight on the harmful outcome of closed adoption and the lasting impact of secrecy upon relationships. -Jean A.S. Strauss, author of Birthright Her restraint in telling her tragic, timeless and redemptive story is an extraordinary feat. A tour de force that should be read by everyone. -Kiana Davenport, author of The Spy Lover and Shark Dialogues . . . a compelling manifesto for why our culture and legal system must re-think and reform adoption down to its roots. -David Smolin, Professor of Law and Director, Center for Children, Law, and Ethics, Cumberland Law School, Samford University . . . a powerful memoir you won't be able to stop reading till the final page. Her story is modern and retro, tough and tender, romantic and profoundly honest. -Delores Teller, past president of the American Adoption Congress Dusky's courageous, honest book puts a human face on the emotional minefield of adoption while navigating an often-hidden truth-that at the heart of every adoption there are issues of loss, guilt, emptiness, abandonment and an incomplete sense of identity. Much more than a good read, Hole in My Heart integrates important research findings that support the universality and truth of Dusky's personal experience. -David Kirschner, PhD, psychoanalyst, author of Adoption: Uncharted Waters With lyrical prose and unwavering commitment, she advocates eloquently for adoption-law reform. -Justice Faith Ireland, Washington State Supreme Court, (Ret.) . . . beautiful, powerful, and painful. -Nancy Verrier, author of The Primal Wound