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Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite
The Adopted Nurse by Lisa Astalos Chism guides readers through a personal journey of identity and healing. The story unfolds as Chism examines her complex feelings about being adopted, describing her experiences with emotional honesty and vivid narrative detail. Her life is filled with moments of love and challenges, which she confronts with an unwavering spirit of hope. The book is structured around her life stages, each part offering insights into her evolving understanding of herself and her world. Her voice is engaging, and she relays her stories with clarity and emotion, making it easy to connect with her experiences. She also touches on her professional life as a nurse, integrating her career into her narrative in a way that underscores her dedication to helping others, a theme portrayed throughout the book.
Although I have not experienced any of the situations Lisa Astalos Chism has, I found her story helpful in understanding how some adoptees feel as she describes her relationships with her adoptive parents, her birth family, and her struggles with personal identity. The memoir goes beyond adoption as it’s also about finding our place in the world and showing up for ourselves, even when dealing with trauma and loss. Chism writes with courage and compassion, inviting readers to reflect on family and belonging, and provides crisis and adoptee resources and references for further research and reading. The Adopted Nurse is an inspiration for anyone facing challenges, seeking identity, or trying to find their place in the world, and those interested in stories about resilience and the human spirit.
