An Adoption Story | Mystery
A true story detailing the journey of Judith Romano as she discovers fragments of her background and then sets out to solve the mystery as an adult.
“Adoption Detective is a story that is hard to forget—readers will want to keep a hanky close at hand. The plot is emotionally draining, engrossing throughout, and agonizing at times with great expectations followed by periods of both ecstasy and gut wrenching rejection. Nothing is fait accompli when it comes to affairs of the heart and on this account the book delivers.” —Jim and Penny Hassell, Avid Readers
A passionate love affair between high school sweethearts creates an accidental pregnancy during a sultry night on the shore of Lake Michigan. Rebecca’s unforgiving parents banish her to an unwed mother’s home where she secretly gives birth to a baby girl. Her daughter Judy is placed in the loving care of foster parents before being callously given to Mario and RoseIla Romano for adoption on her first birthday. Mario is a powerful Italian who bribes a Catholic priest to obtain the baby he wants, but Judy suffers profoundly from separation syndrome In the quiet shadowy surroundings of her new home—and is confused when RoseIla informs her that she is adopted. Reoccurring visions and fantasies of her birth mother plague Judy’s consciousness for three decades until a life-changing passage into adulthood causes her to question why she was abandoned. What begins as a simple investigation into her medical and ancestral history slowly evolves into a passionate quest to discover her roots. Through good timing, perseverance, and a few small miracles, Judy eventually solves the mystery of her origins. But will the woman she has been seeking welcome Judy back into her life?
Adoption Search | “The Elegant Art of Detection”
“The heroine of the story is hardly a traditional detective, but genealogy by its very nature, leads her to detection, deduction, and conclusions that are not always what she had in mind.” —Judith Land
Adoption Detective | Endorsements
“The reader will hang on to every phase of the adoption search—this is a life story that deserves this book.” —Terrie Drake, librarian, Colorado Mountain College
“This book is riveting—I literally could not put it down. Your story is solid and exceptional. I can’t say enough good things about this book.” —Sheila Mincer, speech language pathologist, Mountain Board of Cooperative Educational Services
“Judith Romano is a plucky Midwestern orphan who faces adversity and steadfastly refuses to back down until she has accomplished her goal of finding her birth parents. It is impossible to put this book down before it is finished—other adoptees will be greatly inspired to find their own roots.”—Jean M. Paton, Mother of the Adoption Reform Movement, Founder of Orphan Voyage, and author of The Adopted Break Silence.
Adoptee | “Everything That Happened Lingered in Her Imagination”
PART 1 | CHILDHOOD
Memories, Dreams, and Fantasies
“Everything that ever happened to Judith Romano lingered in her imagination. Separation from her biological roots encouraged visions of her birth mother inspired by obscure memories, mystical dreams, and childhood fantasies.” —Judith Land
PART 2 | THE SEARCH
Resilience, Perseverance, and Persistence
“The process of conducting an adoption search requires resilience to conquer adversity, perseverance to overcome injustice, and persistence to achieve your goal.” —Judith Land
PART 3 | EPILOGUE
Choices, Relationships, and Conclusions
“Ancestral recovery was a peak experience, an extraordinary moment that took my breath away, liberated my spirit, and gave me the confidence to soar like an eagle.”—Judith Land
Chapter 1
CONCEPTION
Dear Mom,
I am the quintessence of your heart and soul. I was conceived in your womb last night as a result of two young passionate spirits mystically combined in erotic love and beauty. The strings of the violin are separate, but they quiver together with the music to create the birth of a soul in a new body. The conflict of reason and passion are the sails and rudder of seafaring souls. Without one or the other, the danger of hasty action has doomed lovers since the beginning of time. You have lovingly but recklessly, left your seed to be dispersed by the wind to an unforeseeable future.
Love, Baby
Bruno held Rebecca tightly in his arms and pulled her down on the blanket beside him. She was nervous. She sensed his youthful passion, intensity, and enthusiasm. He touched the smooth skin on her arms with his fingertips and caused goose bumps. A cold chill traveled down her spine. She felt the warmth of his body. His skin was moist. She liked the warm feel his breath made on her neck. She felt secure and loved. It was a sultry, evening in August. Waterlogged air from Lake Michigan jacketed the city of Milwaukee. The Mills Brothers song “I Love You So Much It Hurts” was playing on the radio in the background. Don’t Have to Tell Nobody” by Frankie Lane followed. Bruno was strong, and Rebecca felt protected and comfortable in his arms. The good feelings that he produced in her heart and soul enraptured her. She looked into his eyes as he leaned forward and kissed her. Their embrace was mutual, and the memory of that evening was burned into their souls forever. They were high school seniors and madly in love. Regardless of how hard they rationalized their experience that exotic sultry night on the shore of Lake Michigan, they were unprepared to deal with the circumstances that followed. The inevitable happened. Rebecca became pregnant.
