In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned - from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules. Enter Mia Warren - an enigmatic artist and single mother - who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and...

Stories and photos illustrating the joys of adopting older dogs.

There are moments that change your entire life's direction. For Arden Bell, owner of a cherished bookstore in the seaside hamlet of Eliot's Corner, one such moment comes early on a summer day when she opens the door to Laura Huntington--the daughter she hasn't seen in thirty-seven years. Not a day has passed in which Arden hasn't thought of the baby she glimpsed only once before her wealthy, powerful parents forced her to give her up for adoption....

Susie Mast's Old Order life in Lancaster County's Hickory Hollow has been shaped by events beyond her control, with the tragic deaths of her Dat and close-in-age brother casting a particularly long shadow. Now twenty-two, Susie remains unmarried despite her longtime affection for friend Obie Yoder. Believing Obie might never show romantic interest in her, Susie accepts Del Petersheim's invitations--it is only after Obie leaves to take an apprenticeship...

A mother weaves a magical web of tales to explain how her child came to be a part of the family. --

Moo Kitty lived happily with his human for several years, but when his human died Moo Kitty had to go to a shelter. Moo Kitty was sad when no one seemed to want to adopt an adult cat, but he was finally adopted by a family and was very happy in his new home. Includes the benefits of adopting an adult pet, and tips for adopting an adult pet.

Allan and Michele's marriage is tested in unexpected ways by Michele's near-obsession with having a baby and Allan's determination to save orphans in Africa.

A young girl who is a transracial adoptee learns to love her Asian eyes and finds familial connection and meaning through them, even though they look different from her parents’. Her family bond is deep and their connection is filled with love. She wonders about her birth mom, and comes to appreciate both her birth culture and her adopted family's culture, for even though they may seem very different, they are both a part of her, and that is what...

Gretchen Spyder is more than the daughter of Spyder Island's namesake; she is a woman ready to reclaim the twin babies she gave up for adoption at any cost. With her father's help, Gretchen takes on Myra Rutledge and an equally determined sisterhood on an island filled with secrets.

Shares first-person accounts of children and parents whose lives have been positively touched by international adoption.