In their siblings' voices : white non-adopted siblings talk about their experiences being raised with black and biracial brothers and sisters /

With this study, Simon and Roorda complete a longitudinal study begun in 1970, further elucidating the complexities involved in transracial adoption. This book introduces the often-silenced, often-neglected voices of the transracial adoption experience--nonadopted white siblings of black and biracial children adopted into white families. The authors interviewed 20 such siblings, who provide their views on growing up in multiracial families and their perceptions of how the families' social context and prevailing philosophies impacted not only their adopted siblings' but also their own social and emotional development. Responses to questions about adaptation, experiences, and former/current relationships with adopted (and other) siblings expose the multidimensional nature of building relationships across racial borders. The authors are consistent in their interpretations of the benefits of transracial adoption. However, they also highlight the predominance of a color-blind philosophy within these families and question the wisdom of such a philosophy, illustrating the challenges that occur for all family members when race is ignored. Though deeper analysis of the interview findings would have been desirable, this is an important book that fills a gap in the adoption literature by providing the voices and experiences of a rarely heard contingent. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates; professionals; general readers. P. A. Quiroz University of Illinois-Chicago