About the campaign | National Adoption Week is run by BAAF and supported by 1E

About the campaign | National Adoption Week is run by BAAF and supported by 1E

JEANETTE Winterson "Why be Happy When You Could be Normal?"

JEANETTE Winterson was given up for adoption when she was six months old. Her NEW book:-

Why be Happy When You Could be Normal?

Who could resist such a title? My first thoughts as I was reading this biography were that although the story is a sad one, Winterson does not come across as a victim.

She was adopted when she was six months old by a devoutly religious couple. They were strict and the mother emotionally withdrawn. No books were allowed, except the bible, and punishments were very harsh. Instead her experiences, which include an exorcism have given Winterson plenty to write about. The way she writes is often humourous and non-judgemental of her parents and seeks to understand them. However she is haunted by her experiences and is forever looking for a home and someone she can love and trust.

My second thoughts were how other authors like Joan Didion and Jeanette Walls have also written about their sad and heartbreaking experiences but because they are such good writers we as readers are uplifted by their stories. They do not let sentiment get in the way of the story and seem to want to focus on what good can come out of their experiences.

The final chapters focus on Wintersons search in later years for her biological mother. Her mantra is she must have loved me if she kept me for 6 months. She finds her mother and once again Winterson handles this with care and humility.

Winterson leaves us with more questions than answers about early childhood experiences and how they form us.

Published by Jonathan Cape, part of Vintage Publishing

 Reviewed by Chris Page

~Society of St Francis~Specialist Adoption Agency,~

www.sfcs.org.uk

Provide a service for birth families who have had a family member adopted through the Society. 
We are a specialist adoption agency, providing high quality adoption and related services for over 140 years. Our approach is universal – we welcome all kinds of families of a multitude of cultural and social backgrounds, for all kinds of children.

Do you have an Adoption story you would like to share? Or maybe you have adopted through THe Society and would like to do a regular blog for us. We are looking for stories for our website, newsletter, and for the press in the run up to National Adoption Week. If you can help, please contact us through the website: www.sfcs.org.uk or call 01908 572700

Join On FB:- 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Francis-Childrens-Society/187746274585649

~Luminous Night~ watercolour\gouache\pen+ink\tippex

~Luminous Night~ 

~New Luminous Moon Dream~

~Vortex~

~Vision~

~Welcome to my world~

Have a look around the galleries on my website:-
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~Looking 4ward+Looking Back~

  

~ADOPTION~Should Adoption Be Colour Blind?

Adoption + Colour: BBC ONE programme> Watch it here.

Susanna Reid and guests debate: should adoption be colour blind? 

 What are your views? What is your story? 

 Where you adopted?

What issues are common to all ADOPTED people regardless or colour, race or creed?

This is (part of) my story:  ~Journey~

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~This is part of 'My Story'~

~Retro Collage~

~Winter's Section~
~Journey~

words from a revolution: DOGS OF WAR

words from a revolution: DOGS OF WAR: By Christine Aziz in Alexandria, Egypt:-

Beneath a full moon, a crown of Coptic Christians gather outside Alexandria's library to protest at the previous night's vi...