A single New York City executive travels to China to adopt a baby.
Things were sailing along for Jane Howe; she had a great apartment, a well-paying job and a supportive network of family and friends. A few days before her 37th birthday, Jane has an epiphany—she wants to be a mother. Since her prospects of quickly marrying and procreating seem slim, Jane decides that adoption is the best option. Playwright Sheehan, a creator of the theatrical production Tony ’n’ Tina’s Wedding, who in 2000 adopted a ten-month-old girl in China, creates vivid supporting characters to accompany Jane on her journey from the boardroom to the playground. The prospective mothers Jane meets worry about their decision to become single parents. For Jane, doubts surface when she confronts her judgmental family with her choice to adopt. Jane’s resolve gets tested a second time when she meets a man who may just be perfect daddy material. Throughout her dilemma, Jane’s best friend, Ray, offers ample comic relief and emotional support. When the day finally arrives for Jane to fly to China to meet her daughter, the reader feels all the elation and tumult of becoming a new parent. Panic and horror prevail as Jane and the other adoptive parents get a glimpse at rural China’s orphanage system, but the moody quickly lightens as Jane embarks on a new life, baby in tow.
A warm, funny look at foreign adoption and single motherhood from an author who has lived the story.
