Memoir: Finding Zoe | Review + Giveaway♥

Finding Zoe
Brandi Rarus

• Publisher: BenBella Books (October 7, 2014)
• ISBN-10: 1940363225
• ISBN-13: 978-1940363226
• Genre: Memoir
• Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles
• Disclosure: Review Copy was sent free of charge courtesy of BenBella Books.
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Synopsis: "At just a few months old, Zoe was gradually losing her hearing. Her adoptive parents loved her—yet agonized—feeling they couldn’t handle raising a Deaf child. Would Zoe go back into the welfare system and spend her childhood hoping to find parents willing to adopt her? Or, would she be the long-sought answer to a mother’s prayers?

Brandi Rarus was just 6 when spinal meningitis took away her hearing. Because she spoke well and easily adjusted to lip reading, she was mainstreamed in school and socialized primarily in the hearing community. Brandi was a popular, happy teen, but being fully part of every conversation was an ongoing struggle. She felt caught between two worlds—the Deaf and the hearing. In college, Brandi embraced Deaf Culture along with the joys of complete and effortless communication with her peers. Brandi went on to become Miss Deaf America in 1988 and served as a spokesperson for her community. It was during her tenure as Miss Deaf America that Brandi met Tim, a leader of the Gallaudet Uprising in support of selecting the university’s first Deaf president. The two went on to marry and had three hearing boys—the first non-deaf children born in Tim’s family in 125 years. Brandi was incredibly grateful to have her three wonderful sons, but couldn’t shake the feeling something was missing. She didn’t know that Zoe, a six-month-old Deaf baby girl caught in the foster care system, was desperately in need of a family unafraid of her different needs. Brandi found the answer to her prayers when fate brought her new adopted daughter into her life. Set against the backdrop of Deaf America, Finding Zoe is an uplifting story of hope, adoption, and everyday miracles."

• Finding Zoe is a heartwarming novel that is encouraging, and it has a deep meaning behind the story. Brandi Rarus is an deaf individual, and this novel is her memoir.  The memoir is broken down into three parts: Brandi's childhood, Jess(Zoe's biological mother), and the third part is the adoption of Zoe. Zoe is a six month year child, who needed a family and Brandi had decided to adopt her. 

• Zoe's childhood consists of self-acceptance, she had a good childhood majority of the time, but she did struggle with her deafness. She struggled with her identity as any other person would. I do like reading books where the protagonist or narrative is deaf, it adds a unique yet sensitive touch to the book. It's surprising she did not become bitter about her deafness, but rather she embraced it afterwards. The story touches on teen pregnancy as well, the father's perspective on Zoe was fascinating to read about. I liked the bond between Zoe and Brandi, it's one of my most favorite parts of the novel.

• I did like the religious approach Brandi had taken, since I am religious, although, at times it did feel the author imagined that as the only way to have a perspective about life. A singular approach to life, I cannot relate to as much - I also do believe it's the person's own ability to succeed in life as well.  It does have an interesting story though, Finding Zoe is an encouraging novel about a woman's struggle and finding a place in life. It's an emotional, honest, and raw story that I enjoyed reading from the beginning to the end. I would rate it 3.5 butterflies.

The more entries you enter for the giveaway below, the better. 
However, they are not required though - there is a free entry for everyone. 

The giveaway prize is a paperback copy(INT.)
Contest ends on January 24!
The contest is for U.S/Can only.

-The winner will be selected randomly by Rafflecopter! 

-Please enter only from one email.

-The winner has 48 hours to reply, before I randomly chose another winner. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” 

—J.K. Rowling 

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