Nate spent his early years as man-of-the-house, caring for
an ailing mother and raising his younger brother, David. The
cost to Nate was dear but, as soon as David's future and
personal life was secure, he put all his energies into his
career as a photojournalist, traveling the globe free from
responsibilities. Nate ran from commitments, and David
welcomed them.
Losing her mother while very young, Hallie reacted quite
differently than her sister Janet. Hallie became difficult
and forged a chasm between herself and her stepmother,
Roberta, which remained firmly in place. Hallie and Janet
developed into two quite different people -- Hallie the
organizer and Janet the nurturer.
David and Janet were the perfect couple to adopt Ahn from a
Vietnamese orphanage. They were ready to spend their lives
adoring their child and working diligently to help her
overcome some major emotion and developmental challenges.
But fate stepped in, and a tragic accident once again left
Ahn an orphan. Their will was very specific. Ahn's
guardians, Aunt Hallie and Uncle Nate, were to find her a
new perfect family. Hallie and Nate found themselves thrown
together after many years of fighting and denying a mutual
attraction that left many unresolved issues and feelings.
Working together with the attorney and child psychologist,
they interviewed potential parents who had to fit some
specific qualifications and provide a loving home for this
child who had become very dear to them. While Nate
was embracing his expanded role, Hallie was self-deprecating
when it came to her ability to be a mommy. Ahn was
emotionally connecting with Nate and distant from Hallie. As
the prospect of them becoming a family loomed, they grappled
with their new roles. Hallie had deep reservations. She
longed for a true marriage built on love, not responsibility
or lust. Nate had run from commitment before; Hallie needed
reassurance that he wouldn't do so again. Were they the
perfect for Ahn... and each other?
Make no mistake, ADOPTED PARENTS is not your run-of-the-mill
guardians marry and adopt their charge story. It is a
surprisingly joyous tale with a cast of unlikely likable
people. Candy Halliday takes no short cuts in describing the
angst ridden process of finding suitable adoptive parents,
especially for a child with special needs. There is no doubt
that there is love in abundance in their temporary home, but
is love enough to sustain this makeshift family? This story
will surprise the reader from cover-to-cover as you
alternate between rooting for and against them, never losing
sight of the larger picture--- securing a good and hopefully
perfect home for the child. The ending will surprise and
please you.
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