Synopses & Reviews
At just a few months old, Zoe was gradually losing her hearing. Her adoptive parents loved heryet agonizedfeeling they couldnt handle raising a Deaf child. Would Zoe go back into the welfare system and spend her childhood hoping to find parents willing to adopt her? Or, would she be the long-sought answer to a mothers prayers?Brandi Rarus was just 6 when spinal meningitis took away her hearing. Because she spoke well and easily adjusted to lip reading, she was mainstreamed in school and socialized primarily in the hearing community. Brandi was a popular, happy teen, but being fully part of every conversation was an ongoing struggle. She felt caught between two worldsthe Deaf and the hearing.
In college, Brandi embraced Deaf Culture along with the joys of complete and effortless communication with her peers. Brandi went on to become Miss Deaf America in 1988 and served as a spokesperson for her community. It was during her tenure as Miss Deaf America that Brandi met Tim, a leader of the Gallaudet Uprising in support of selecting the universitys first Deaf president. The two went on to marry and had three hearing boysthe first non-deaf children born in Tims family in 125 years.
Brandi was incredibly grateful to have her three wonderful sons, but couldnt shake the feeling something was missing. She didnt know that Zoe, a six-month-old Deaf baby girl caught in the foster care system, was desperately in need of a family unafraid of her different needs. Brandi found the answer to her prayers when fate brought her new adopted daughter into her life.
Set against the backdrop of Deaf America, Finding Zoe is an uplifting story of hope, adoption, and everyday miracles.
Review
Finding Zoe is a heartwarming story about identity, self-acceptance, and love . . . Attending RIT/NTID after growing up as Brandi and I did, in hearing families and mainstream schools, is truly life-altering. Brandi beautifully captures the joy of finally fitting in, feeling at home and finding yourself.”
Dr. Gerard J. Buckley, President of National Technical Institute for the Deaf
"The journey in Finding Zoe is captivating and inspirational, and above all, a story about doing what is right for our children, as well as ourselves, no matter how difficult
and then seeing all of the pieces fall miraculously into place. Finding Zoe is a joy to watch unfold.”
Jill Smokler, New York Times bestselling author of Confessions of a Scary Mommy and Motherhood Comes Naturally (And Other Vicious Lies)
A must-read for any adoptive parent, or anyone considering adoption. Brandi Raruss story of Finding Zoe is an amazing reminder that the power of love overcomes lifes most challenging obstacles and nothing can stand in the way of whats meant to be.”
Mary Donahue, Senior Vice President of Non-Fiction at Lifetime Television Network and adoptive parent
Just as my character on Switched at Birth has helped to expose the Deaf community for what it really is to our mainstream TV audience, so too does Finding Zoe break down the barriers between the hearing and Deaf communities by showing Deaf Culture in ways never seen before . . . Bravo to Finding Zoe.”
Sean Berdy, actor on the ABC TV hit series Switched at Birth and Peabody Award Recipient
Finding Zoe shines an unbiased light on teen pregnancy, adoption, and the sacrifice parents make to find the best home for their children. A must-read for teenagers and their parents, or for anyone else who may be contemplating their choices for an unintended pregnancy.”
Jan and Bob Charnecki, founders of Options Pregnancy Center
A work of both heart and mind, driven by the authors passions to describe our rich history as deaf people, that paved the way for deaf children like Zoe...a book that both deaf and hearing people have longed for.”
Greg Hlibok, student leader of the Deaf President Now protest at Gallaudet University
This isnt just a book for people interested in adoption; its an inspiring story that will touch the heart of anyone with a connection to children and familieswhich is to say, almost everyone.”
Adam Pertman, Executive Director of Donaldson Adoption Institute and author of Adoption Nation
This really hits home
The story of a deaf baby who finds her way to a deaf family
and embraces her culture and language. A great introduction to the Deaf community.”
Chris Wagner, President of National Association of the Deaf
Synopsis
Brandi Rarus lost her hearing at age six. She met her husband Tim after seeing him at the Gallaudet Uprising, and they fell in love a year later, devoting their lives to each other, improving the lives and communication for the Deaf, and later, raising their three hearing sons.
Despite being head over heels for her boys, Brandi kept dreaming that shed have a daughter someday. She didnt know when or how, but she knew a little girl was out there waiting for her.
When Zoe was born to Jess, a high school student who knew she couldnt raise a baby on her own, Jess did her best to find the ideal couple to raise her little girl. But when the adoptive family discovered Zoes increasing hearing loss, they made the agonizing decision to let her go.
Set against the backdrop of Deaf America, Finding Zoe is story about a remarkable family and gives us a poignant insight into their culture and its history. Its a story about doing what is right and watching how the pieces can just fall into place, as it did when Zoe found her true family.
About the Author
Deaf since age six after contracting spinal meningitis,
Brandi Rarus could speak and read lips, but felt caught between the deaf and hearing world--fitting into neither. When she realized you dont need to hear to live a fulfilled life, she became empowered and was chosen as Miss Deaf America. From signing the National Anthem at a Chicago Cubs game to speaking at corporate conferences, Brandi traveled the country speaking out for deaf children and building awareness of what it means to be Deaf.
She married Tim Rarus, an advocate for Deaf people whose work inspired the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. Together, they have paved the way to bring new technologies that promote equal access in communication. Brandi and Tim live in Austin, Texas, with their four children: three hearing boys and the youngest, Zoe, a Deaf girl they adopted. Today, Brandi and her family are tirelessly dedicated to ensuring all children find their rightful place in our world.
Award-winning writer and teacher of the intuitive process, Gail Harris has experienced the joy of adopting a child. She brings her knowledge of the adoption process and in-vitro fertilization to this book, along with her ability to articulate from a hearing persons perspective what is fascinating about the Deaf experience. In the four years that it took to write Finding Zoe, Gail conducted more than 75 interviews to uncover. Gail is the author of Your Heart Knows the Answer and a featured blogger on several popular parenting blogs. She lives with her husband and son in Framingham, MA.