Welcome Home

OhMyHeart...this book should come with a pallet (not a box) of tissues.

My Top 5 (in no particular order)
The Take Back
Peace of Paper
Up By A Million
These Broken Stars
Ink Drips Black

Read it.

Families are unique ecosystems. They can change with each moment and they play an incredibly large role in a person's identity. The anthology Welcome Home, edited by Eric Smith, explores the topic of adoption through a multitude of diverse stories and characters that address the realities, fantasies, and emotions involved.

I could easily wax poetic with plenty of clichéd ideas, axioms, or phrases, such as it's not who you're related to by blood that makes a family but who is there for you to support and love you, but that would get old rather quickly and not help explain my thoughts on this anthology. Instead, I'll offer the following: no two stories were exactly alike, but they all helped to convey a similar message of love and acceptance. Some stories felt complete in their short form and others could easily be expanded to be part of a larger narrative. With a variety of perspectives about adoption and family presented throughout the collection via different genres, it offers opportunities to view the topic through a new lens.

I realize (and greatly appreciate) how tough the medium of a short story is and those included in this anthology are well-written and evoke emotion and thought during the brief time you're immersed in the world they offer; however, I did find that there were a few that incorporated some rather unique fantastical elements that could benefit from further development, as I got hung up with questions about some of the details, but the oddness of it didn't detract from the powerful messages being conveyed by the narrative. Regardless of your personal connection to the topic of adoption, these stories help to demonstrate that there is no right definition of a family, but family can be thought of as who we decide to surround ourselves with.

Overall, I'd give it a 5 out of 5 stars.

This was touching. I felt like I wanted to run out and join those families who take in people who have nowhere to call home.

I’m usually a fast reader. If I don’t finish a book within a week of picking it up, chances are I’m never going to. Either something grabs me from the beginning and I’m off, staying up until an unsavory time to get that last chapter in, or it doesn’t, and I just can’t bring myself to bother with it.

But then there are books like Welcome Home. Books that I have to put down, not because of any fault of prose or failure of plot but because they inspire me to think, and I need a moment before I can collect myself to start reading again. So it took me a rather long time before I could finish reading the ARC and settle down to write a review.

Even before the first story, before the introduction, Eric Smith gives us a sense of what he set out to do in his beautiful dedication:

“For those who’ve been found

And for those out alone,

For those still searching

And for those who’ve come home.”

Welcome Home is an anthology of short stories about adoption and family, love and abandonment, fear and hope. It features 29 authors writing in various styles that speak to their own experiences. This leads to a range of voices and formats, from the magical realism vibe of Tristina Wright’s “Jar of Broken Wishes:”

“Only Daisy could see the wishes. They were airy and light and different colors. Almost like fireflies all lit up blue and pink and green.”

to Randy Ribay’s typical coffee-shop meet in “The Snow-Covered Sidewalk”:

“‘Um,’ he says, mussing his hair again. ‘You don’t have to leave. We can share the table.'”

In addition to these, there were blog-styled stories, fantasy and sci-fi stories, stories that took place in the past and stories that took place in the future. No matter the author or genre, the story never failed to pull me into its universe. The writing was varied but rarely felt disjointed. There were a few times I felt the limits of a short story, and I felt an idea could have been developed further for comprehension’s sake. But there were also times I wanted an idea to be developed further out of pure selfishness. I wasn’t ready to part with the characters just yet; their stories weren’t over. I’d love to see some of these author’s ideas expanded upon or even made into a full-length narrative.

Without hesitation, this book earns a five out of five. I don’t want to get too hackneyed with this last bit, but I really do believe Welcome Home succeeds in conveying the meaning and value of all families, no matter what they’re composed of.

I have no personal experience of adoption but these stories touched my heart and caused me to shed many tears. So many different interpretations of the theme, all fascinating. I think my favourite story is Empty Lens, but it's a very hard decision to make as there are so many that I loved. Great anthology for dipping into but make sure you have your tissues handy if you are an empathetic reader!

WELCOME HOME is an anthology of short stories ranging from contemporary to sci-fi that deal with the pain, complications, and joys of adoption. The stories include a mix of POVs: children dealing with being adopted and parents dealing with giving children up for adoption.

This was an anthology I knew I wanted to read. My older sister is adopted and I’ve seen first hand the confusion and frustration that sometimes goes with being adopted. This book touched on all of those basis and it was genuinely good read. I felt like it took me forever to finish it because I would have to set it down after a few stories. While there are some sci-fi stories (like the parents who are stuck in 1985), there are a few contemporary stories that hit me hard. This anthology takes a good, hard look at blended families, foster care, and the adoption process. I appreciated that it showed the good side of adoption- the stories we want to see where everyone gets the family they wanted- but I’m also thankful that they showed the bad side of adoption- feeling cut off from your culture and the fact that sometimes “forever families” aren’t forever.

There are trigger warning associated with this text. Child abuse is at the front in center in several stories (particularly in SALVATION by Shannon Gibney). EMPTY LENSE by Tameka Mullins has a trigger warning for transphobia. It’s a throw away line that I plan to email the publisher about. The MC talks about meeting a transgirl and says “She is growing into her pretty but I can still see the boy in her.” The line is completely unnecessary.

While I do recommend this anthology, do be aware of it’s sometimes heavy subject matter.

This was a very sweet little book of short stories, I enjoyed it very much.

The collection started with a bang. Adi's story about a teen in Mexico, whose parents are stuck in 1985 was astounding. So full of heart and teenage feelings. I was crying by the end. I was so pleasantly surprised by how different all the stories are, how many facets of life they shine on. From contemporary to magical realism to fantasy, to mystery, they show the reality of adoption in its many iterations. There were a couple of stories that were too dark and gruesome to me though. There was child abuse, and because of some language, I'm hesitant to share it with a few people I'd been anticipating sharing it with (kids are more middle grade age, rather than YA), but all in all, I loved this anthology and will for sure buy the book and share it widely.

A collection of stories from contemporary to science-fiction all connected by adoptions. Families created through love, the pain of giving up a child, and the struggle of trying to find the right family are all covered.

Like most anthologies there were good stories and bad ones. Several had strong enough plots and characters to be full books. Some were barely holding on for the few pages they got. That said the anthology was strong together. Adoption isn’t a subject I see covered in a lot of young adult novels and with the wealth of different stories here it really is a shame.

While many of the stories focus explicitly on adoption and the bonds it creates, some stories follow other plotlines just centering on adopted characters. An adopted girl who has super powers etc. It’s incredibly diverse including POC characters and LGBT+ characters all while keeping the focus on adoption.

There are treasures in this book, but there are just as many stories that I feel were sort of flops. It’s definitely a worthy pick up for someone who wants to see adopted characters in fiction. I only wish some of these stories would see full length adaptations featuring the adopted characters. All in all, it’s a decent read but the stories are too mixed for it to be amazing.

Here are the stories that really stood out for me: Webbed by Julie Esbaugh, These Broken Stars by C.J. Redwine, Tunneling Through by Shannon Parker, A Lesson in Biology by Sammy Nickalls.

This was an amazing collection of stories that portrays adoption from a wide range of voices. I was truly touched reading this anthology.

I thought this was a lovely anthology with so many amazing short stories by a lot of authors I've never read anything from before. Obviously, like with a lot of these anthologies, there are stories that I liked more than others and that's why it's not a five stars. But the intricacies and the intersections that were presented throughout this book were so beautifully done and I was so happy I got the opportunity to read this. I adored that there were so many genres interwoven here between contemporary and historical fiction to sci-fi, fantasy and even some with magical realism elements. I thought all the ways of presenting different and diverse families were gorgeous. Race and sexuality were part of these characters identities as well and the stories and personalities were so different and you understand through these stories how many types of families you can find in the world.

I loved that this book showed that there is no one "correct way" to act when you're adopted and how you relate to your adoptive family and your birth/natural family is totally up to you. I feel like sometimes when we get stories about kids who are adopted, we get these super sad stories of them trying to find their birth parents and being super unhappy with their adoptive family. And yes, there were some stories like that in this book too but there were also happy stories, stories of people who were super content with their adoptive families, stories of people who wanted to make them happy and who wanted to be happy. Stories of people who created a bond through things much deeper than blood and genetics and who didn't fit the box that society wanted to put them in. As I said, it crossed so many intersections, there were so many kids struggling with and embracing their sexuality as part of the LGBTQ+ community, who wanted to understand their race in relation to their adoptive parents and in relation to their birth parents and so many more complex stories.

There were times throughout this book when I cried a lot because of how beautiful and intricate those stories were. There were times when I laughed with them and there were times I didn't feel anything with the stories. There were some that were absolute gems and that I want full books from like The Sign by Erica M. Chapman, A Kingdom Bright and Burning by Dave Connis and Jar of Broken Wishes by Tristina Wright. I'm sure there are many more but those are the ones at the top of my head and that left a mark in me. There were so many different narrative styles and characters to follow and it was a super lovely book and I recommend everyone to read it.

I didn't realize this was an anthology, but I did enjoy the majority of the stories. A nice mix of styles and sentiments. Overall, a very good read.

While I’m sure there are YA books with fostered/adopted main characters, I haven’t read…any, I think. So I was delighted to find that a stellar group of YA authors was coming together for this anthology. The realm of fostering and adoption has become much more personal for my family in the past few years. Through that journey, I’ve learned a lot about unthinkable living conditions, long-term problems, and new kinds of love.

Welcome Home shines a light on the struggles and triumphs of people in similar (fictional) journeys.

Three major elements of diversity that I respect in Welcome Home: the authors, the writing, and the stories.

The authors seem to be a good mix of gender, ethnicity, experience, etc. Most of them have a personal connection to adoption/fostering, although not all disclose or hint at that in their bios, so I can’t be sure.

The writing covers a range of genres, including fantasy, sci-fi, and thriller, in addition to contemporary. I was happy to see that the authors exercised creativity and freedom in bringing ideas of love and family to many worlds.

Finally, and most importantly to me, the stories. This anthology tells a wide variety of stories. Bad adoptions, good families, bio mothers, angsty teens, accomplished soldiers, and more. The world is full of people with stories about the foster system and each of those stories is different. Welcome Home makes a happy dent in representing those stories in literature.

This meaningful anthology takes readers on an emotional journey with gifted writers, as it explores complex adoption circumstances, including different skin colours, cultures, etc.

29 short stories on adoption. Love that there was representation of all kinds from race to sexuality, adoption to fostering, magical and paranormal elements, there really is a story for everyone in this book. I read four short stories a day and picked my favorite to list in my status update. One time I picked three because I just could not narrow it down. My favorites are listed in my status updates on Goodreads. Great variety of authors from some I have read before and others that are completely new to me.

A lot of strong, heatwarming stories in this adoption-centered anthology. I'm not a huge anthology person, so I gave it a 3.5 overall. Some stories were awesome, some were okay, didn't hate any of them. This anthology probably has the most authors I have ever seen in one anthology, so the stories were all pretty short, almost like flash fiction. Recommended for people who enjoy short story collections!

Full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1860286267

This is a beautiful and perfect collection of stories for those that struggle with feeling like they truly belong. I am still processing everything, but it made me want to open my arms and my home to those without one. Great stories.

A fantastic collection of stories about adoption, love and family. I thought the mix of genres was incredible- there's something to draw in everyone and I even found myself enjoying genres I wouldn't usually pick up because they were so well written. My personal favourite was Adi Alsaid's magical realism story but there were several that I will go back and reread.

My only issue- which I would knock a star off of- was the transphobic language in Empty Lens by Tameka Mullins and I hope this has been changed for publication.

2.5/5 stars.

I liked how this anthology focused around adoption stories because I find that that's a topic that's very lacking in YA literature. However, at the end of many of the stories, I found myself thinking, "That's it?" Some of the stories were pretty well-done (I enjoyed Tristina Wright's story) but I wish that they were all a bit longer and more developed.

Overall, I think this is a wonderful anthology for adopted kids or people looking to adopt or anyone with a relation with adoption. However, I just didn't find that I could really connect due to the short length of each story.

Actual rating: 3.5

I liked the idea behind this collection more than I liked the collection. Short stories about adoption, all of them with happy endings? Yes please. But the execution let me down a little, I feel like most of the stories were rushed and ended abruptly. It was more of a glimpse into a story, then a story itself. There’s a lot of interesting glimpses into potentially beautiful stories, making me wish there was at least a little bit more.
What was absolutely enjoyable though was the abundance of different writing styles displayed. Each author brings something different to this anthology, therefore making it special.
I’m really torn between recommending this book or not, it all depends on what you enjoy in a book? If you want plot or character development, I’m sad to say that there isn’t enough material for that part to shine. If you’re a fan of writing styles, this one is the perfect book to enjoy that.

This was wonderful. Eric Smith has brought together talented writers with the skills to explore the wide range of circumstances and emotions surrounding adoption, resulting in something truly special. I was engaged from start to finish. A must read.

contribute snapshots of all different kinds of families

I love this theme about presenting families in all the many variations. The majority of the stories focus on critical and unhappy moments so this isn't one of those good-time-reads, but there are so many important POVs that get illuminated.

Since there are so many stories, they are short. Very short. This collection is great at showcasing a moment, but each story is about a moment. It's like a series of bites, but not a full snack. That's fine if that's what you're looking for, but I wanted a little more for each story.

I like reading anthologies for the chance to discover a new writer to add to my TBR. My favorite from this anthology is by William Ritter and I need to move his books to the top of my TBR list.

Anthologies are tough for me to review because I liked a bunch of these stories, but when I look at the overall experience of reading this book, I just feel sort of iffy about it. I really like the idea and I feel like the theme of adoption was super clear throughout all the stories. All the stories felt distinct while still being about the same subject, which I really appreciated.

I tend to like reading anthologies because they introduce me to new authors that I've never read before. However, I was a little disappointed with this one because the stories I enjoyed the most just ended up being written by authors whose books I've already read, so I already expected to like their writing style. (The stories that I remember enjoying were Adi Alsaid's and Julie Eshbaugh's)

Moreover, while quite a few of these stories gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling of joy and satisfaction, a lot of them fell flat for me. However, that doesn't mean they weren't super creative with a ton of potential to be great. The issue was how short some of these stories were. A lot of the time they felt to me less like short stories and more like long story prompts. I think it's great that so many authors were included in this collection. But I rather would have read a book that was twice as long or split into 2 installments with fully fleshed stories, than having to read so many stories that barely got past the exposition.

I'd definitely encourage readers who are interested in this book to check it out for themselves! There are some gems in here.