An interview with Mary Anna King who shares her fascinating in-family adoption story. She describes her experiences of being adopted as an older child, and also her separation from (and subsequent reunions with) her other biological siblings. We also discuss common adoptee feelings of guilt and indebtedness.

Show Notes

Full episode transcript here.

Topics We Discussed

In-Family Adoption
Reunion with siblings, highs and crashes
Keeping journals to catalogue events
Physical reaction to a surprise reunion: losing voice
Adoption as an older child, with a name change
Relationship with biological sister
Contact with birthmother
Biological father's belief in adoption as "God's plan"
Adoption meant moving from poverty to middle-class, a feeling of giving up birthparents for financial stability
Feelings of indebtedness, adoptee guilt
Shift in perspective from adoption as win-win-win, to adoption involving loss for all three parties of the triad