I recently reviewed the book "28 Stories of AIDS in Africa" for you, and today I have one more book review that I wanted to share, and that I think all parents who have adopted from Africa or are in the research stage or are in process, would really enjoy.

The book is titled "Angels in Africa" by Beth O'Donnell, and it features the stories of seven extraordinary women in Africa who are doing something to change the things that they see need fixing... more

Yesterday I wrote a book review on "28 Stories of AIDS in Africa".

I love to read. I am always in the middle of a book, with several more piled up ready to go. Lately I have been reading many books about Africa. I have been reading biographies, history books, travel journals and plenty of others.

I think that when adoptive parents choose to adopt a child internationally, that they owe it to themselves, their children, their children's birth family, their children's birth country and the people left behind, to care. They have... more

I want to review a book that I just read, that gives a very in depth and personal look at the current AIDS crisis in Africa, and the reasons why there are currently so many orphans in Africa.

If you don't "know" me, I am Erin from the Transracial Adoption Blog.

I have 10 kids; three biological sons, a daughter from Vietnam, a daughter from Korea, an African American son adopted domestically, two African American daughters adopted domestically, a son from Ethiopia and a daughter from Ethiopia.

My... more

Well, here's a story on child trafficking in Africa you don't hear every day ...

It is being reported that sixty-two children rescued from suspected traffickers have gone on a hunger strike to protest what they're saying is inhuman treatment by the Nigerian state police command who have been caring for them ... that, and "poverty in the land that forced their parents to engage them for sundry jobs", which is apparently the preferred term for slavery.

The... more

I've learned a lot recently about keeping yourself safe while you blog. As a – ahem – mature mother, I was not worried about my blogging attracting an Internet predator, or becoming a target for someone's personal fantasies. There are a multitude of websites on how to stay safe while blogging as a teenager. However, I also was not worried about protecting my “real” identity and that of my kids. Shame on me.

I'd like to think that the world is a safe, caring place, where “everyone” has others' best interests at heart, but alas, 'tis not so. Blogging can get you fired. Numerous employees across the... more

Sometimes I think I'm "brave" and that I stick my neck out, but Jenni Williams is one of the truly brave in this world. Zimbabwe has descended into total anarchy and mob rule, in my opinion, yet there are still brave souls who stand up for what's right. I hope Jenni doesn't mysteriously disappear while in police custody.

Press Statement Sean McCormack, Spokesman Washington, DC June 7, 2007 ... more

Ugly American is an epithet used to refer to perceptions of arrogant, demeaning, unthoughtful behaviors of Americans abroad. The term originated as the title of a 1958 book by authors William Lederer and Eugene Burdick, which I did not know until I started writing this blog. In fact, in the book, the lead character is physically unattractive, but nice. The "bad guys" are quite handsome, so it seems what is remembered of the book was the opposite of what was intended but in any case, the term became a derogatory one. I have had many opportunities to see "ugly... more

Why I Chose You: 100 Reasons Why Adopting You Made Us a Family by Gregory E Lang, is a small "coffee table book" with pictures and snippets of reasons that families choose to adopt.

Author and photographer, Mr. Lang has a number of books under his belt, so to speak. While not personally involved in the adoption "triad", he decided that he wanted to recognize those families who have grown through the miracle of adoption. He says: "Raising a child is not a right, but a priceless... more

This book by Susan Hunter, published in 2003, is a book written for a "lay" audience about the AIDS crisis in Africa. The author has spent 20+ years in Africa, working with UNAIDS, UNICEF and USAID specifically addressing the AIDS issue.

She has written a book that is pretty easy to understand, but harder to digest. She weaves stories of Charles Darwin in with discussions of colonialism, vectors, disease transmission, the role of money and more education on epidemics... more

I have been having so much fun being a mom, I'm finding it hard to get to the computer. I will be resigning as an adoption.com blogger in a couple of weeks. There are many reasons, but I want you, the readers, to know I have enjoyed blogging about two of my passions – adoption and Africa.

There are many resources out there for you if you are researching adoption from Africa. One of my favorite is My Adoption Links, but it does not have updated info for the up-and-coming adoption programs like Zambia and others that are brand-new.

Another site for getting news from Africa is the AllAfrica news... more