The Pumpkin Patch: A Single Woman’s International Adoption Journey

The Pumpkin Patch: A Single Woman's International Adoption Journey
Margaret L. Schwartz
Chicago Spectrum Press
ISBN: 1-58374-118-6
Non-Fiction, Memoir, Adoption
Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady

The Pumpkin Patch: A Single Woman’s International Adoption Journey is a compilation of the author’s journal entries about her adoption experience. The author started writing this journal when she started the paperwork to adopt two children from the Ukraine. In the early portions of this journal, the author explains her reasoning for wanting to become a mother and why she chose Ukrainian children to adopt. The author also gives details of every step of her journey including the amount of paperwork, costs, and waiting times during the application process. She also honestly and straightforwardly expresses days when she can’t wait to become a mom and days when she is terrified at the mere thought as well as days when she is sure she is fighting a never-ending battle of bureaucracy.
The middle portion of this book looks at the author’s experiences in Ukraine as she searches for her future children through the actual adoption processes to bring her two boys home. The author learns in this section that the painfully bureaucratic application process is nothing compared to the actual adoption process. Each step of this journey was stalled by more paperwork, complete with the appropriate donations and inflated fees.
The final section of this book looks at life after adoption. This section details the extreme lifestyle changes that the author had to make, her triumphs, and her challenges. This section also outlines some of the unique problems and special health issues associated with adopting international children.
The information contained in this book will be invaluable to any person or couple thinking about adoption, either domestically or internationally. Not only will the reader get a detailed step by step view of the paperwork and fees that must be completed but they will also realize that doubts and delays are just part of the process. Moreover, they will be reminded that though the process is extremely difficult, time consuming, and expensive that in the end it is worth the effort.