Seeking Forgiveness

Seeking Forgiveness tells the story of interracial adoption in the United States today, from the perspective of a white mother who adopts a Black son and finds she has no idea what the hell she is doing. Rachel, the adoptive mother of Miles, receives a call from the police in the middle of the night informing her that her son has been arrested. She rushes to the police station to help Miles, consumed with worry that she has failed to protect her son from events beyond his control. For the next eight hours, as Rachel desperately tries to get Miles out of jail, she recalls their life together and the events that have led them to their current situation. In so doing she questions her competence as a mother, the viability of interracial adoption, and whether her son will ever forgive her for the mistakes she made as his adoptive mother. A rich commentary on motherhood, adoption, and race relations in America today, this suspenseful narrative memoir will linger long after the immediate tension of the novel has been resolved. If you enjoy female-driven autobiographical novels such as Motherhood by Sheila Heti, I Love Dick by Chris Kraus, and Dept of Speculation by Jenny Offill, you will want to read this novel. Similarly, if you are drawn to stories of racial identity and interracial relations, including Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennnett, Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, you will also be glad you picked up this suspenseful, moving, semi-autobiographical narrative memoir.