A Girl Named Maria

She was found abandoned in the lavatory of a cafeteria in Bogota Colombia. The police who picked her up named her Maria Consuelo. From a stack of would-be parents Colombia's welfare agency chose Valerie Kreutzer's application and the toddler quickly bonded with her new mom in Washington DC. At school Maria struggled with severe learning disabilities despite a superior I.Q. but also blossomed into an award-winning young artist. Her impulsive behavior led to fits and false starts during adolescence until she found happiness at twenty-one with David and his extended family. Their love and lives ended in the curve of a rural road in Florida.<p> A Girl Named Maria chronicles an adopted daughter's struggle with identity and her yearning for a birth family that may have included a twin brother.<p> Maria's legacy lives on in this poignant personal story of one mother's unconditional love for her adopted daughter.<p> I loved this book! This story although carrying the deep sorrow of a daughter's death will give parents of transnational adoptions a guideline for their own experience. This book is a much needed addition to the adoption literature.<br> Nancy Verrier The Primal Wound; Coming Home to Self<br> www.nancyverrier.com