"You Should Be Grateful" cover art

"You Should Be Grateful"

Stories of Race, Identity, and Transracial Adoption

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"You Should Be Grateful"

By: Angela Tucker
Narrated by: Angela Tucker
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About this listen

An adoption expert and transracial adoptee herself examines the unique perspectives and challenges these adoptees have as they navigate multiple cultures

“Your parents are so amazing for adopting you! You should be grateful that you were adopted.”

Angela Tucker is a Black woman, adopted from foster care by white parents. She has heard this microaggression her entire life, usually from well-intentioned strangers who view her adoptive parents as noble saviors. She is grateful for many aspects of her life, but being transracially adopted involves layers of rejection, loss, and complexity that cannot be summed up so easily.

In “You Should Be Grateful,” Tucker centers the experiences of adoptees to share deeply personal stories, well-researched history, and engrossing anecdotes from mentorship sessions with adopted youth. These perspectives challenge the fairy-tale narrative of adoption, giving way to a fuller story that explores the impacts of racism, classism, family, love, and belonging.

©2023 Angela Tucker (P)2023 Beacon Press Parenting & Families Relationships Adoption Fostering

Critic Reviews

“A captivating memoir that also offers an important counterpoint to voyeurism and saviorism in the adoption process.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This deeply personal story is also a passionate call to rethink the way we manage and talk about adoption in America.”—Booklist

“Tucker’s story and the stories of the adoptees she features gives readers access to thoughts adoptees have but might too afraid to tell others or what they talk about amongst themselves.”—International Examiner
All stars
Most relevant
loved the eloquent way she describes so many nuances about the adoptive process and what can be helpful and what perpetuates harm, even if accidentally

Great insight into adoption

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I learnt so much through Angela’s book. Thank you for your honesty and vulnerability. It opened a window to many facets of adoption that are not talked about nearly enough.

A Must Read

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