Uncertain Fruit Receives Kirkus Review
A lesbian couple describe the pitfalls of trying to adopt a child in this debut memoir.
Vermont, 2014. The Majoyas were already raising two boys: Rebecca’s sons from a previous marriage. They would have loved to have one more baby together as a couple, but after eight years of undergoing fertility treatments and being on adoption wait lists, they started to wonder if maybe it was time to abandon that dream. Then they got a call from a teacher friend at the local high school: There was a 17-year-old student who was pregnant and looking to give the baby up for adoption. The Majoyas had their doubts about Delilah—how sure she was about giving up the infant, the product of a rape; how well she had been taking care of herself during the pregnancy—but the couple quickly agreed to adopt the child. Two weeks later, a boy, Sage, was born. The Majoyas were thrilled; Delilah didn’t want to look at him, but her mother—always against the adoption—insisted on getting to hold him. Then, a few days later, as they settled into their life with their new son, the couple received the call they had been dreading: Delilah wanted the baby back. As the Majoyas’ odyssey with Delilah and Sage unfolds, flashback chapters about the authors’ history as a couple and their attempts to grow their family provide context for this dramatic, final effort. The Majoyas take turns narrating the memoir, alternating by chapter. The dual perspective helps to fill out their personal journeys, particularly Sallyann’s desire to raise a child from birth. When Sallyann marveled at how small the newborn Sage was, Rebecca teased, “Of course he is. You just forgot how little the boys were.” Sallyann responded, “No, actually, they were never this little when I saw them, when I held them in my arms.”
The book grapples with complex emotions in a candid manner, and it raises intriguing questions about how and when someone becomes a mother.
A well-told story of heartbreaking near misses, second chances, and new beginnings.
