Not Yours To Keep: A Story About Adoption and the Strength and Resilience of Women

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Julie Melanson

Not Yours To Keep

A Story About Adoption and the Strength and Resilience of Women

Julie Melanson

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Paperback

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English

Rooted in Day Publishing
02 September 2025

Autobiography: general; Memoirs; Gender studies: women; Adoption & fostering; Adoption

Not Yours to Keep is a raw and emotional story that speaks to the resilience of women. It is a compelling tale about a young mother in the 1950s who fought against all odds to give birth to her child that was conceived by a brutal rape, only to give her up for adoption at birth.

Unknowingly, the baby girl, Julie, is adopted and raised by parents in a loving family only a few miles away from where her birth mother lives. There are many times throughout Julie's fifty-one years that their lives come very close to touching each other, but it's not until she and her husband decide to peruse the internet on a whim about their backgrounds that Julie and Diana connect. They share their life stories and realize how much their lives' paths have in common.

Not Yours to Keep gives the reader a thoughtful message about the parts of us that are from nurture and what comes from nature. It touches the heart and mind with its inspiring depiction of the ability to overcome and achieve success after life's heartbreaks, challenges, and struggles have their way with you.

By: Julie Melanson
Imprint: Rooted in Day Publishing
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 140mm, Spine: 7mm
Weight: 150g
ISBN: 9798999218308
Pages: 124
Publication Date: 02 September 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Not all adopted children get the chance to discover where they come from, but Julie Melanson did! Her journey to reconnect with her birth mother, Diana, revealed unexpected parallels, heartbreaks, and triumphs. With raw honesty, love, and compassion, she tells a story of resilience, identity, and the enduring power of family. Julie Melanson emerges as a promising author driven by a compelling personal narrative. Julie is an up-and-coming author who has lived a tale that most adoptees would never have expected. She has sadly experienced the love and loss of two mothers, after which she was compelled to tell the story of both of these wonderful women who shaped her life in different ways. Beyond her budding career in memoir writing, Julie brings a wealth of experience as a retired vice president of a cold chain/supply chain visibility company, where she dedicated twenty-five years of her professional life.Residing in Michigan, Julie cherishes her proximity to water, a lifelong source of inspiration, alongside her husband Rob. She and Rob live close to her family, which includes two grown sons, Kevin and Paul, and three bonus children-Renée, Evan, and Sam-whom she loves as her own, along with eight cherished grandchildren.In her leisure time, Julie finds solace in reading, golfing, and treasured moments with her family. She shares these moments with Ome and Healy, their beloved Portuguese water dogs, who are loyal companions in her daily life.