BOOKS

When You Never Said Goodbye: An Adoptee's Search for Her Birth Mother; A Novel in Poems and Journal Entries

by Meg KEARNEY
224p. Persea. Mar. 2017. Tr $17.95. ISBN 9780892554799.
COPY ISBN
Gr 10 Up—In this introspective conclusion to the trilogy that began with The Secret of Me and continued in The Girl in the Mirror, 18-year-old Liz McClane chronicles her first semester at NYU and her quest to find her birth mother. Written in the form of soul-searching poems and journal entries, this novel is not plot driven—it will appeal most to those who would appreciate a young woman's meditative reflections on her relationships and identity. An author's note reveals that although this book is not autobiographical, much of it was inspired by Kearney's experiences of her father's death and her attempts to locate her birth mother.
VERDICT Readers who love contemplative poetry and want a simple story of self-discovery will appreciate this title. A good selection where the previous volumes are popular.
Reviewed by Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO
Liz McLane ([cf2]The Secret of Me[cf1]; [cf2]Girl in the Mirror[cf1]), now eighteen, is in NYC ("THE place to be a poet") attending NYU while searching for her birth mother. Through moving, authentic-feeling verse and journal entries, Kearney brings Liz's adoption story to a satisfying resolution. As the author discusses in an appended note, Liz's trilogy is based on her own experience as an adoptee.
 , Apr 01, 2017

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