Never Never Never Will She Stop Loving You
Never Never Never Will She Stop Loving You: The Adoption Love Story of Angel Annie by Jolene Durrant Publisher: JoBiz! Books, 1999, Paperback (Revised Edition)
ISBN: 0966356799
Adoptive mother Jolene Durrant has managed to write a book that educates, reaffirms, comforts, and encourages at the same time. But what makes
Never Never a most remarkable book is that it does all these things for young adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents – in closed or any variation of open adoptions.
Originally written as a children's book about the love of both birth and adoptive parents in their lives, the revised edition includes glimpses into the author's personal experience, and guidance for adults.
"Angel Annie" is the author's name for the birthmother at the center of the story, her foster daughter who placed her son for adoption (not with the author and her husband); the woman who taught Durrant – and who teaches all of us – about love and choices.
The book is wonderfully illustrated by adopted children between the ages of 5 and 14. The reactions of these young illustrators as shown in their drawings are, in themselves, an indication of how well they understand, appreciate, and respond to the story. I found myself giggling aloud at drawings accompanying text about eating healthy during pregnancy - pizza thrown aside, replaced by a selection of fruit! Couched in terms children understand, the book affirms a birthmother's love and stresses the love and importance of the adoptive family.
New sections for adults encourage birth and adoptive families to personalize the book, substituting their own names or adding personal comments from their own experiences. The author has also included common-sense guidelines for adoptive parents, stressing the importance of conveying positive information to their children about their birthparents, no matter what the circumstances, and offering suggestions for how this can be done.
Strictly speaking,
Never Never is a children's book... but I highly recommend it not only for adults to read to children and for older children to read and cherish themselves, but also for adoptive parents and for birth parents of all generations. Those of us connected with adoptions that took place decades ago were not fortunate enough to have this book in our libraries… but, to use a time-tested cliché, better late than never. Don't miss it!
© Nancy S Ashe
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