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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

The Odd Things Books Make You Think of Sometimes

by Chautona Havig · 6 Comments

Finding My Son got my brain thinking about a movie father who did everything possible to find his son, and as a result, lives were changed. via @chautonahavig

“I have to find my son!”

How many times have I heard that line from Finding Nemo?  At first, I was bugged by the idea that, once again, the parents are wrong and the kid is right.  That’s what I got out of it the first time I watched it.  But after a few more rounds, mostly skipping parts to see the ones we liked, I started seeing a deeper theme–multiple ones.

Let’s look at some of them.  Because it always amazes me that I first saw the negative–that one thing I didn’t like instead of all the richness of the rest.  Instead of the richness hidden in that one thing I didn’t like.

  1. Marlin was a fearful fish long before the barracuda stripped him of most of his family.
  2. Despite that, love gave him the courage to face fear after fear to rescue his wayward and disobedient son.
  3. His son was encouraged to be wayward and disobedient because of how Marlin exasperated said son.
  4. He never gave up on the child he loved so much.
  5. Sometimes, kids are right–even after they’ve been terribly wrong.  And acknowledging that rightness doesn’t mean that you’re condoning the wrong.  It just means you’re doing the right thing.

What does all this have to do with today’s book review?

Not much.  Not really. Still, the whole time I have looked at and read this book, I couldn’t get Marlin’s voice out of my head.  “I have to find my son!”

I wondered if that was the theme I’d find in this book, Finding My Son, on adoption.  There was only one way to find out, so I read.  And I was surprised by what I found.

The Odd Things Books Make You Think of Sometimes

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. Additionally, I requested and received a free review copy of this book and chose to write this review without compensation of any kind.

The Odd Things Books Make You Think of Sometimes

Joy. Pain. Rejection. Despair. Fulfillment. Peace.

I’ve heard people use those words and hundreds of others to describe their adoption process.  It’s a difficult, achingly personal road to walk, and Eric Odell-Hein does a good job showing us all the intersections, bumps, potholes, and smooth stretches.  He shows walking by faith and zooming down the highway of doubt. And all in a laid-back, conversational style.

This adoption memoir is a no-holds-barred look into how one man went from holding one position to being passionate about things he never would have dreamed of wanting much less seeking.  For those struggling with infertility, this book offers both hope and pain.  Hope that God does offer alternatives.  Pain in the wait, the uncertainty, the death of dreams, of so many things I can’t hope to understand.

The story engaged me and mostly held my attention. Some parts are oddly specific, but as a whole, it read exactly as one would expect.  While it wasn’t necessarily in my top books of 2019, I’m not sorry I requested and received the free review copy I read, and I did enjoy it well enough. I think the story would best recommended for folks dealing with infertility, considering adoption, or who love memoirs on either of those subjects.

Finding My Son 

Finding my sonAbout the Book

Book: Finding My Son

Author: Eric Odell-Hein

Genre:  Christian Memoir, Adoption

Release Date: February 21, 2018

Eric was perfectly happy being one half of a dual-income, no-kids family. Having the freedom to travel the world with his wife Christine, while indulging his hobbies and furthering his education and career, was a pretty sweet life.  

 Christine wanted to be a mom.  

 Though he was scared he didn’t have what it took to be a good dad, Eric wanted to fulfill his wife’s dream. After years of trying to conceive, however, the couple received a devastating diagnosis: infertility. 

For Christine, adoption was the obvious answer. Eric wasn’t so sure. 

 In Finding My Son: A Father’s Adoption Journey, author Eric Odell-Hein offers an unfiltered view into the heart and mind of a man who has experienced the sometimes messy and often awkward process of becoming a father through adoption. Encouraging men to acknowledge the fears they don’t want to admit while advocating a thoughtful, deliberate transparency as the best approach to even the most unnatural, uncomfortable aspects of the adoption process. Eric shares his misgivings and mistakes with an honesty that does not deny his insecurities. 

 A valuable resource for any man considering growing his family through adoption—or anyone seeking to understand the process—this engaging memoir is a testament to the beautiful gift of adoption and a touching account of a father’s love. 

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Comments

  1. Julie Waldron says

    November 10, 2019 at 11:13 am

    This sounds like a beautiful book about a wonderful topic.

    Reply
  2. Caryl Kane says

    November 9, 2019 at 3:21 pm

    Thank you for the great review and being part of the tour.

    Reply
  3. Dianna says

    November 9, 2019 at 3:10 pm

    I have a few friends who adopted their children. The pain and passion they feel for their kids is so tremendous.

    Reply
  4. Melissa Wenger says

    November 9, 2019 at 7:09 am

    I may add this to our church library. We have several families in the process of adoption.

    Reply
  5. Amelia says

    November 8, 2019 at 4:07 pm

    This book sounds great!

    Reply
  6. Debbie P says

    November 8, 2019 at 1:11 pm

    This sounds like a great read.

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 265: A Chat with Karen Witemeyer
byChautona Havig

Nothing says fairy tale like a sweet western romance by an author like Karen Witemeyer… unless it’s a fairytale retelling set in Texas in the late 19th century, right?  Fairest of Heart takes the familiar “Snow White” and turns it on its head with retired cowboys, a self-absorbed actress, a Texas Ranger, and a sweet girl who knows the true Source of her beauty.  Listen in to see all the genius Easter eggs Witemeyer planted in this book.

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Sometimes All a Girl Needs Is a True Change of Heart

I fell in love with the cover of Karen Witemeyer’s Head Over Heels a few years back (only to learn it’s much older than that, even), and meant to read that book.  I didn’t.  #BecauseIdiot. Well, that’ll be rectified just as soon as I’m done listening to her first book in a trilogy of fairytale retellings. I loaded it up on my Audible app tonight and wheeeeeeee. Here I go! So much for no new books until October. HA! 

Karen talks about her heart for young women today and how they’re taught by every bit of media blasting at them that they need to use their bodies to get what they need or want when the Lord has a better plan. And I can’t guarantee it, but I strongly suspect she does it without preaching. SQUEE!

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Once upon a time in Texas . . .

Beauty has been nothing but a curse to Penelope Snow. When she becomes a personal maid for a famous actress whose troupe is leaving Chicago to tour the West, she hides her figure beneath shapeless dresses and keeps her head down. But she still manages to attract the wrong attention, leaving her prospects in tatters–and her jealous mistress plotting her demise.

After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas Ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young lady found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather’s ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.

With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus is assigned to investigate a robbery case tied to Penelope’s acting troupe, and all evidence points to Penelope’s guilt. But Titus might just be convinced that the fairest woman of all has a heart as pure as her last name . . . if only he can prove it.

You can learn more about Karen Witemeyer and her books on her WEBSITE. Don’t forget the book is 30% off on BakerBookHouse.com.  

Follow Karen on BookBub and GoodReads.

And don’t forget her Posse Group on Facebook.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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