When We Become Ours: A YA Adoptee Anthology

When We become Ours, an unarguably groundbreaking anthology, contains a wide range of poignant and evocative stories in a variety of genres written about adopted characters by adoptee authors for adoptee readers. The editors, Shannon Gibney and Nicole Chung, tell us there is no such thing as an universal adoption experience and no two adoptees have the same story. Indeed, in a world where there are remarkably few adopted characters in YA literature - and fewer still who have not been imbued with magical powers or dropped into fantastical circumstances - this anthology represents a rare opportunity for adoptees to tell the story and see themselves at the heart of it.

There are 15 tales in this volume. Each tale genuinely and authentically reflects the complexity, breadth, and depth of adoptee experiences and, while each story is discrete, there are common themes of identity, belonging, loss, anger, pain, love and healing throughout. Two of my favourite stories, 'Cora and Benjo's Great Escape' by Mariama J. Lockington and 'Sexy' by Jenny Heijun Wills, are both examples of hyper-realistic contemporary YA fiction that face adoption and race head-on and tackle very modern interpretations of what it is to be or feel lonely or isolated. Both are wildly different in their approach, yet each tale has deeply sympathetic protagonists who provoke a wide array of feelings in the reader.

By this point, you may be thinking, 'well, I'm not adopted...obviously this isn't for me,' and, as a fellow outsider looking in, I say don't be discouraged. One of the great benefits of reading for pleasure is that it broadens horizons and exposes the reader to new experiences, perspectives and ideas, and this anthology is an empathetic powerhouse which epitomises that old literary adage about walking a mile in someone else's shoes. And, far from exclusionary, this anthology is a font of diversity, inclusivity and ally-ship.

Another good element which shouldn't be dismissed is the format.  The beauty of an anthology is that you can pick it up, read a short story, and put it down again with no fear that when you pick it up again, whether that is later that day, week, month...year(!), that you've lost the plot and need to start all over again. You don't need to read from start to finish either. An anthology gives the reader the freedom to check out the contents page and pick whatever strikes their fancy at that particular time, no matter where in the book that is, which is exactly what I did - and, there's still that sense of accomplishment that you've finished something.

When We become Ours is very reader-friendly, each of the 15 stories is relatively short, typically falling somewhere in the range of 20-30 pages, and the language isn't too complex. The only jarring aspect of the whole reading experience is that the anthology is clearly intended primarily for the North American market but, all things considered, this isn't a deal-breaker, and as a school librarian, I would definitely recommend it to my readers.

352 pages / Reviewed by Erin Quigley, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 14+