Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories cover art

Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories

Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories

By: Louise Browne & Sarah Reinhardt
Listen for free

About this listen

Two adult adoptees, Sarah Reinhardt and Louise Browne, delve into all things adoption - from their perspectives as adult adoptees.

Each season Sarah and Louise recap a chapter from a book centered on adoption and then interview a guest. Sarah and Louise come out of the 'fog' in real-time through Seasons One and Two and are advocating for change in the adoption industry. They want to give voice to all adoptees. Adoptee stories are needed to reframe the narrative around adoption.

Sarah and Louise, two former business partners who had a successful ice cream truck in Los Angeles, team up again - this time in frank and honest conversations about all things adoption from the adoptee perspective. Both were adopted shortly after birth, but they had very different experiences.

These will be intimate conversations, but also fun - because Sarah and Louise know how to lighten things up and have a good time. They also have an uncanny ability to get to the heart of a subject with anyone who crosses their path - so conversations will take many turns.

© 2025 Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories
Parenting & Families Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Cameron Lee Small: The Adoptee's Journey: Season 10 Finale
    Jun 3 2025

    Cameron Lee Small, MS, LPCC, is a licensed clinical counselor, transracial adoptee, and mental health advocate based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was born in Korea and was relinquished into foster care at age three. He was then adopted in 1984 by a family in the United States. His private practice, Therapy Redeemed, specializes in the mental health needs of adoptees and their families wherever they may be in their adoption journey. His work has been featured in Christianity Today, the National Council for Adoption, and the Center for Adoption Support and Education.

    To find Cameron Lee Small: Therapy Redeemed

    Season 11: Adoptee Memoirs (begins on June 10th) - next books in order:

    Practically Still a Virgin by Monica Hall

    You Can't Get Rid of Me by Jesse Scott and Keri Ault

    Unspoken by Liz Harvie

    Sign up for our mailing list to get updates and the Eventbrite - (soon to be published) - for our September 12th & 13th Washington, D.C. Event!

    Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE community. The next meeting will be on Saturday, June 7th, @ 1 PM ET.

    RESOURCES for Adoptees:

    S12F Helping Adoptees
    Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
    Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
    Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement
    Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate
    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
    Unraveling Adoption with Beth Syverson

    Adoptees Connect with Pamela Karanova

    Because She Was Adopted by Kristal Parke

    Dear Amy, letters to Amy Coney Barrett. A project by Meika Rouda

    Support the show

    To support the show - Patreon.

    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • Sandi: The Journey to Rediscovering Family and Self in Panama
    May 27 2025

    Sandi Morgan Caesar is a transnational adoptee. She was born Cristina Rodriguez in Panamá to a 14-year-old girl who parented her for most of her 1st year. Ultimately, she was placed for adoption by her maternal grandmother without the knowledge or consent of her first mother. Sandi was adopted by a Black US Air Force family stationed in Panamá at the time. She was naturalized as a US citizen and then brought to the US at 3 years old. It was about this time that she asked her mom why they didn't have the same face. She grew up in Dayton, Ohio, with older siblings (biological to her adoptive father). Although she thought finding family in Panamá would be impossible, Sandi reunited with her birthmother and maternal family in 2004. Sandi holds a B.S. degree in Human Development from Howard University, an M.S.W. from Indiana University, and has worked in child welfare most of her career.

    Sign up for our mailing list to get updates and the Eventbrite - (soon to be published) - for our September 12th & 13th Washington, D.C. Event!

    Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE community. The next meeting will be on Saturday, June 7th, @ 1 PM ET.

    RESOURCES for Adoptees:

    S12F Helping Adoptees
    Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
    Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
    Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement
    Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate
    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
    Unraveling Adoption with Beth Syverson

    Adoptees Connect with Pamela Karanova

    Because She Was Adopted by Kristal Parke

    Dear Amy, letters to Amy Coney Barrett. A project by Meika Rouda

    Support the show

    To support the show - Patreon.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 19 mins
  • Carol: For This Adoptee, Early Searching Led to Present-Day Understanding
    May 20 2025

    Carol Hoeksema was born at the Salvation Army Evangeline Home for unwed mothers in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1957, where she stayed the first 13 days of her life before going to an unknown foster family arranged by Bethany Christian Services. At 3 months, she was given to her adoptive parents and raised in the Dutch immigrant community of Pella, Iowa. She always knew that she was adopted and was curious about her roots. At age 19, she started her search by going to the adoption agency, and over the next 15 years, she was able to find and contact the families of both birth parents. After experiencing a secondary rejection by her mother, she found healing and belonging in doing genealogy research. In contrast, her late father’s family welcomed her with open arms. She has lived a rich life, full of family, friends, and adventures. A retired family physician, Carol lives with her husband on Camano Island, Washington. They have 3 grown children and 4 grandchildren. In this interview, she tells the story of her adoption and search for her roots so that her descendants will know their history, too, and wants to give hope to others experiencing birth mother rejection.

    Sign up for our mailing list to get updates and the Eventbrite - (soon to be published) - for our September 12th & 13th Washington, D.C. Event!

    Thank you to our Patreons! Join at the $10 level and be part of our monthly ADOPTEE CAFE community. The next meeting will be on Saturday, June 7th, @ 1 PM ET.

    RESOURCES for Adoptees:

    S12F Helping Adoptees
    Gregory Luce and Adoptees Rights Law
    Fireside Adoptees Facebook Group
    Dr. Liz Debetta: Migrating Toward Wholeness Movement
    Moses Farrow - Trauma therapist and advocate
    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 OR Dial or Text 988.
    Unraveling Adoption with Beth Syverson

    Adoptees Connect with Pamela Karanova

    Because She Was Adopted by Kristal Parke

    Dear Amy, letters to Amy Coney Barrett. A project by Meika Rouda

    Support the show


    Support the show

    To support the show - Patreon.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 1 min

What listeners say about Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.