Seeking Forgiveness
As first seen in the pages of the racial equity storytelling project Before Ferguson Beyond Ferguson, the semi-autobiographical narrative memoir Seeking Forgiveness tells the story of interracial adoption in the United States today, from the perspective of a white mother who adopts a Black son, and finds she has no idea what she is in for.
Rachel, the adoptive mother of Miles, receives a call from the police in the middle of the night informing her that her son has been arrested. She rushes to the police station to help Miles, consumed with worry that she has failed to protect her son from events beyond his control.
For the next eight hours, as Rachel desperately tries to get Miles out of jail, she recalls their life together and the events that have led them to their current situation. In so doing she questions her competence as a mother, the viability of interracial adoption, and whether her son will ever forgive her for the mistakes she made as his adoptive mother.
A rich commentary on motherhood, adoption, and race relations in America today, this suspenseful narrative memoir will linger long after the immediate tension of the novel has been resolved.
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The author presents a searing, complex picture of adoption and the reality that love can only overcome so much...an engagingly written and well-structured book." -- Kirkus Reviews
By blending autobiography with the drama of a novel revolving around an adoptive mother's realizations about racial issues engrained in her life and America as a whole, readers receive an engrossing story that encourages thought and debate. Libraries looking for memorable accounts of biracial experience and issues will find Seeking Forgiveness a persuasive story that ideally will invite biracial debate on all kinds of issues, from parenting to justice and biracial relations in America. -- Midwest Book Review
There is no question that this is a unique and original novel, with a singular and profound narration. The subject of the work is Miles, but the true, in-depth exploration is really of Rachel, his mother, who examines her role and responsibility as a white mother to a Black son. Powerful and enlightening, Seeking Forgiveness is a thought-provoking examination of an interracial mother/son relationship. Overall rating: 10/10 -- BookLife Review
Seeking Forgiveness by Lea Rachel is a book that once started, you will find difficult to put down...Seeking Forgiveness is a five-star recommended reading. -- ManyBooks Editorial Review
A truly absorbing, enthralling, fictional tale that holds you on the edge of your seat, and that stays with the reader long after the reading's done. Seeking Forgiveness holds a mirror up to motherhood, society, and hope, all while telling a captivating tale with great characters, genuine feeling, and convincing voice. ... I truly loved this book! Highly recmmended. -- Sheila Deeth's Reviews
LOVED IT! A powerful story about a white mother trying to save her Black son from racist accusations. The story is engagingly written and held my interest. -- Lanette S., Reedsy Discovery
A thought-provoking and emotionally gripping 5-star read. -- Reader Views Book Reviews
This was beautifully written. -- Sienna S'Zell
Very insightful and empathetic coverage of what one white woman experiences as the adoptive mother of a black boy ... very eye-opening ... it rings true to the nature of our white society. -- Michael Coury
