| Shar's Story: A Mother and Daughter Reunitedby | | | | giving her a brief synopsis of her life and her family. |
| Sharon Shaw Elrod | | | | Shar responded. Then the wait began. Expecting an |
| Word Wright International (2005) | | | | immediate response, Shar didn't get it. In fact, the |
| ISBN 1932196722 | | | | response didn't come until 5 agonizing months later. |
| Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (9/06) | | | | As a reader, living the era of the 1960s, and an |
| Being pregnant out of wedlock in the 1960s was | | | | adoptive mother myself, I couldn't help but share |
| despicable. Pregnant girls were shunned, blamed and | | | | Shar's feelings, trials and tribulations. Shar's passionate |
| shammed. Parents, of the pregnant girl, deplored her | | | | writing draws the reader into each feeling as she |
| and insisted the pregnancy be kept a secret. She | | | | waited for the e-mail, constantly checking for a |
| was usually sent away to a "home" to finish out the | | | | response, and being on the verge of accepting the |
| pregnancy and give birth. Giving the child up for | | | | fact that she may never hear from her biological |
| adoption was the only recourse. Those were the | | | | daughter again. |
| 1960s and that was the case for author Sharon | | | | But, as wonderful stories do occur, Shar's daughter |
| Shaw Elrod. | | | | contacted her in December 2002 and steady |
| At age 22 Shar became pregnant during a summer | | | | communication prevailed. In February 2003 Shar and |
| romance. With no support from her parents she | | | | her daughter met for the first time. The meeting |
| checked herself into a home for pregnant women | | | | was surreal. As for anyone meeting for the first time, |
| (mostly teenagers) run by Catholic nuns. She waited | | | | there is much to discuss, much to learn about each |
| out her term, alone and unsupported by most of the | | | | other, and much to share. Shar and her daughter did |
| staff, until her baby girl was born. Shar immediately | | | | just that. |
| relinquished her rights to the child and the baby was | | | | "Shar's Story" is only 100 pages, however, it is |
| adopted by a family. | | | | packed full of emotions - tears, laughter, sadness, |
| On the child's 21 birthday Shar advised the American | | | | joy. And most of all, it's a story of the reconnection |
| HomeFinding Association, in the event her daughter | | | | of souls of two beautiful women who were |
| attempts to find her, that she is available for contact. | | | | separated for 35 years on one level, yet connected |
| It was not until her daughter was 35 that she made | | | | on another. It's a story of a Mother's love that is |
| the first attempt, contacting the Association to | | | | never ending, and a story of the daughter's |
| initiate communication. This was July 2002. Shar | | | | acceptance. It is a story of adoption that has a |
| received her first e-mail from her biological daughter | | | | happy ending. |