Join us for an online book discussion and support group for parents of donor-conceived people. We will be reading Random Families: Genetic Strangers, Sperm Donor Siblings, and the Creation of New Kin by Rosanna Hertz and Margaret K. Nelson.
If you are expecting, a new parent, or raising a child or adult conceived through egg, sperm, or embryo donation, we invite you to join us. All are welcome - this is a space to reflect, share perspectives, and support one another in navigating parenting. See the schedule below for chapters for each book group. Reading is not required, but will be used as a jumping off point for conversation and reflection. If you aren’t able to read the chapters, please still feel free to listen or join for the conversation!
Book discussions are facilitated by Caitlin Day, MSW, LSW and Kat Boldt, LPC, both donor-conceived people.
RSVP Required: Please email Caitlin at caitlin@encompassadoptees.org for the link to attend.
Chapters:
June - Recap of chapters 1-4
July - Chapters 5 & 6
August - Chapters 7
September - Chapter 8
October - Chapter 9
November - Chapter 10, Conclusion
NOTE: Encompass Adoptees encourages critical thinking, reflection, and the inclusion of perspectives from the entire family constellation through the content we utilize in our groups. Book discussions or reading lists do not imply agreement with all portions of a book, nor do they indicate endorsement of the author/s, their programs, or techniques.
About the book:
Random Families is about the unprecedented families that have grown up at the intersection of new reproductive technologies, social media, and the human desire for belonging. Children of the same donor and their families, with the help of the internet, can now locate each other and make contact. Based on over 350 interviews with children (ages 10-28), their parents and related donors from all over the U.S., Random Families chronicles the chain of choices that couples and single mothers make from what donor to use to how to participate (or not) in donor sibling networks. Children reveal their understanding of a donor, the donor's spot on the family tree and the meaning of their donor siblings. Through rich first-person accounts of network membership, the book illustrates how these extraordinary relationships-woven from bits of online information and shared genetic ties-are transformed into new possibilities for kinship. Random Families offers down-to-earth stories from real families to highlight just how truly distinctive these contemporary new forms of family are.
— https://www.amazon.com/Random-Families-Strangers-Siblings-Creation/dp/019088827X