by Patricia Yager Delagrange
Every book I write is infused with an experience I’ve had in my life. The reader won’t actually know which parts are based on my true life but, if asked, I would be honest in my answers. The first book I ever wrote was in 2009 and that was my daughter’s fault! She came home from grammar school and said her friend asked why her mommy didn’t have a job. After I finished internally ranting about the fact I was an at-home mom so I could raise my children instead of someone else and how I was ill-compensated for that job etc, I realized I did actually have more free time. Allessandra was in school, along with her brother Dylan, until 3 o’clock each day. So I went to the Apple store, bought a MacBook, sat down and wrote my first novel – Passing Through Brandiss. One of the main characters is a teenager who’s pregnant and wants to give her baby up for adoption. My husband and I adopted our daughter at birth. The adoption process was completely without difficulty and went smoothly and quickly. After meeting with our attorney, we waited about eight months before Allessandra was placed in our hands and my husband fed her her first bottle. But the adoption in Passing Through Brandiss is not without its bumps. I won’t give away any details but I wanted to infuse my first book with one of the most impacting experiences of my life – adopting a child. I gave birth to our son in my early forties and then found out several years later that another child wasn’t in the cards. We thought of trying in vitro but the cost was prohibitive. Adoption was an option that we gladly chose. No matter if I gave birth to the baby or not, we would love him or her. And that’s what happened. I hope my readers enjoy Passing Through Brandiss and I’d love to hear any stories about adoption any of you may want to share.
PASSING THROUGH BRANDISS
After the tragic loss of her husband, Annie and her young son search for a new life full of meaning and hope. Fate nudges Annie into the arms of a man whose wife disappeared with his child years ago. Annie’s life spins out of control when first the pregnant teenager she hires to help her with her garden asks Annie to adopt her baby and shortly afterwards the long-lost wife of the man Annie loves reappears. Riddled with grief and heartache, the experiences demonstrate how, even in the face of overwhelming sorrow, opening her heart and home to those most in need of love has reaped unexpected joy for Annie and her son.