Starchild: A Memoir of Adoption, Race and Family – Book Review

PUBLISHERS BLURB 

Michaela Foster Marsh and her brother Frankie grew up as “twins” in Glasgow, Scotland in the sixties. Born only weeks apart, Michaela was white and Frankie was black, and they were an unusual sight in their dual pram. Despite the love from his adopted family Frankie’s life was rarely easy, and it ended far too soon when a fire took him when he was only twenty-six. But for a devastated Michaela, Frankie’s effect on her life was only beginning. She embarks on a search to learn what she can about Frankie’s birth family, a journey that takes her to Uganda, to a culture and a family she never knew, through twists and turns and remarkable coincidences – and to a mission and to a connection with her African brethren she never could have imagined.

STARCHILD is a remarkably candid memoir that plays out on both a personal and global scale. It is the story of the intimacies of siblinghood and the complexities of multi-racial adoption. It is the story of the unique connection of extended family and the unique commitment to an adopted homeland. It is the story of long-held secrets revealed and long-maintained barriers broken. And it is ultimately the story of a sibling relationship that transcends borders, time, and life itself.

Starchild is an odyssey; a spiritual voyage of self-discovery. Michaela Foster Marsh, through sheer – obsessive even – dedication, illuminates and highlights a path, no matter how jaggedly rocky, that can help lead towards emotional fulfilment.

 

MY REVIEW 

Michaela and her brother, Frankie, were very close, but a tragic fire took Frankie before his time. Grief stricken, Michaela decides to trace Frankie’s birth family.

This is a memoir full of love. It’s also an adventure as Michaela travels to Uganda, a country with its issues and problems but also so colourful and lively.

Starchild is beautifully written with real emotion and the love Michaela feels for her adopted brother is clear throughout. It has tragedy, but also hope and love and makes for a truly wonderful and memorable read. 

Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour,  for the promotional materials and an eARC of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.

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