Meeting Sophie: A Memoir of Adoption

188 Pages·2003·0.69 MB·English

by  Nancy McCabe

Meeting Sophie
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Meeting
Sophie
A Memoir of Adoption
Nancy McCabe
University ofMissouri Press Columbia and London
Copyright © 2003 by
The Curators ofthe University ofMissouri
University ofMissouri Press,Columbia,Missouri 65201
Printed and bound in the United States ofAmerica
All rights reserved
5 4 3 2 1 07 06 05 04 03
Library ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McCabe,Nancy,1962–
Meeting Sophie :a memoir ofadoption / Nancy McCabe.
p.cm.
ISBN 0-8262-1495-9 (alk.paper)
1. Adoption—China. 2. Intercountry adoption—China.
3. Intercountry adoption—United States. 4. Single mothers—
United States. 5. Adoptive parents—United States. I. Title.
HV875.58.C6 M33 2003
(cid:2)
362.734—dc21
2003010935
(cid:2)(cid:2)
™ This paper meets the requirements ofthe
American National Standard for Permanence ofPaper
for Printed Library Materials,Z39.48,1984.
Designer:Kristie Lee
Typesetter:The Composing Room ofMichigan,Inc.
Printer and binder:The Maple-Vail Book Manufacturing Group
Typefaces:Minion and Helvetica Neue
Photos by Bill McCabe
“In Another Tongue”reprinted from Prairie Schooner(fall 2003)
by permission ofthe University ofNebraska Press.
Copyright 2003 University ofNebraska Press.
Briefportions reprinted from After the Flashlight Man:
A Memoir ofAwakening(2003) by
permission ofPurdue University Press.
Note:Some real names in this book have been changed.
In memory ofBill J.McCabe
1929–1999
and for Sophie,with love
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Contents
Acknowledgments (cid:2) ix
Prologue: China, 1999 (cid:2) 1
South Carolina (cid:2) 7
China (cid:2) 55
Missouri (cid:2) 101
Pennsylvania (cid:2) 159
vii
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Acknowledgments
Many people offered invaluable support during the events ofthis book
as well as the writing ofit.My social worker,Pat Wheeler,was the kindest,
wisest guide I could have found.Members of her international adoption
support group and the Feminist Book Club of Clinton,South Carolina,
gave me perspective during a long process and gave a warm welcome to
Sophie.A special thanks to the Berg and Hatfield families,Grace Yeuell,
Anita Gustafson,Ann Moorefield,Janet Henley,and Lynne Simpson.Petra
Fiero,Karen Hindhede,and Claudia Routon bolstered me through the ups
and downs; Ladette Randolph did likewise and later gave me insightful
feedback on this manuscript.I am grateful for the lifelong friendship of
Ruth Yoon and her insight on cultural issues.Myrna Nurse’s presence in
our lives was a great gift during our last year in South Carolina.The Yeuell-
Besudens, Gustafsons, and Dutrows provided support and emergency
babysitting during our crisis,and I’ll never forget the courage and gen-
erosity of many students,in particular Doodle Harris.Jodi Bartlett and
the Jamison family took spectacular care ofSophie on many occasions as
well.A special thanks to my many colleagues at the University of Pitts-
burgh at Bradford who made our transition effortless and who daily cre-
ate such a sane,creative,supportive,and stimulating environment.I am
especially grateful to Scott and Carys Evans-Corrales and Don Ulin,and
I’m very appreciative ofthe technical assistance ofGlenn Melvin and Den-
nis Siepierski.
ix