RECYCLED
The author grew up knowing that he was adopted—or “recycled,” as his grandfather Papa used to say. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1966 and adopted by a working-class Italian American family, no one seemed to think of Rocco as anything but a beloved, albeit somewhat spoiled, member of the family. But at the age of 30, everything changed when he went on a blind date with a woman who was also adopted. Learning that she’d been lied to about her birth parents sparked an insatiable curiosity in Rocco, who suddenly questioned the identical, idyllic adoption story that he had been told about struggling college students unable to afford a baby’s care. He soon became obsessed with learning the truth about where he came from. Even while living a seemingly successful life—complete with a respected career as an orthopedic surgeon, two kids, and his wife, Kari-Ann—Rocco still struggled with feeling like a fraud in his own life. Eventually, he tracked down his birth mother, Joyce, who revealed a bombshell secret about his birth father that managed to complicate Rocco’s sense of self even more. His attempt to reconcile who he thought he was with who he really is spurred many interesting conversations about the complexities of identity. With quick pacing and an impressive willingness to document both the successes and personal failings of its author, the memoir shines a light on the dual identities that many kids of adoption feel they possess: “My parents gave me the opportunity to believe in magic even if it was at times pretend, yet find inner joy and gratitude in being a part of something that really was wonderful and highly imperfect simultaneously.” Readers will find plenty of warmth, humor, and intelligence in this poignant text that also raises fascinating questions about nature versus nurture.
