Patricia takes readers on a deeply personal journey as she reflects on her life and the discovery that she was adopted through the black market. We follow along as she begins unraveling a lifetime of secrets, including the possibility that her birthday is not accurate and that the birth certificate she always believed to be authentic is not. As she searches for her birth parents and pieces together her true identity, she must navigate the uncertainty, loss, and challenges that come without having the records and answers most people take for granted.
Honest, compelling, and beautifully written.

As an adoptive mom, I read and devour all books with an adoption theme. This was no exception. I was fascinated by the stories Meyer shared. The writing is expert-level, and I found myself staying up late to read through it! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Patricia Knight Meyer was adopted on the black market in the early 1970s, with her adoptive parents having obtained her through payment to a shady lawyer—she never had a real birth certificate. Moreover, her adoptive parents dealt with their own challenges and addictions and would likely not have been approved to adopt had they gone through official channels to obtain a baby. This book vividly conveys the fallout of the choices of all the adults involved and how adoption is virtually never a simple story of a child being given up to obtain a better life and living happily ever after….and black market adoption makes things even worse. Meyer’s search for her birth parents, though nominally successful, brings its own kind of pain as she learns that very little is as she imagined it might be and there would have been no such thing as an ideal childhood for her in any case. Her well-written story is consistently compelling and will lead readers to question many of their own assumptions about adoption.

I really enjoyed Wonderland by Patricia Meyer. It’s a powerful memoir that kept me interested from beginning to end, while also making me think about the bigger issues surrounding adoption.

The most heartbreaking part was learning about some of the adoption practices in the 1970s and how babies were essentially “sold” through a system that often lacked transparency. It was difficult to read at times, knowing how many lives were affected by those decisions and how much pain and confusion they caused for adoptees and birth families.
What I liked most about the book was how personal and honest Meyer’s story felt. She shares her experiences in a way that is emotional without being overly dramatic, and her journey made me reflect on the importance of identity, family, and belonging.

The book also sparked my curiosity about adoption laws and reforms. After finishing it, I found myself wanting to learn more about how adoption practices have changed and what efforts have been made to give adoptees and birth families greater access to information and support.

Overall, Wonderland is a touching and thought-provoking memoir. It tells a deeply personal story while also shining a light on an important part of adoption history that many people may not know much about.

A very insightful and harrowing read. I thoroughly enjoy biography books especially those by regular people like Patricia. It opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed and would never have thought would happen.

It took a while for me to get into this, but once the book hit its stride it was well worth the patience. The author is very honest about everything and highlights the many challenges which come with adoptive relationships, made more complex by the illegal nature of her own. This is no hero piece. It doesn’t glorify either biological or adoptive parental roles and I think that is so important. Instead, it focuses on the humanity of all players and the flaws which they inevitably bring. The author is also frank about her own failings, including as a parent, but does not use her adoptive status as an excuse. I found the book incredibly interesting and moving.

Wonderland: Memoir of a Black Market Adoption is a compelling and deeply emotional memoir that sheds light on the devastating realities of black market adoption and the lifelong search for identity and belonging.
Patricia Meyer recounts her personal journey with honesty and vulnerability, inviting readers into an intensely personal story while also highlighting the broader ethical issues surrounding illicit adoption practices. Her resilience and determination to uncover the truth are both inspiring and heartbreaking, making this a memoir that is difficult to put down.
The writing is engaging and accessible, balancing emotional depth with thoughtful reflection. While there were a few sections that felt slightly repetitive, they also reinforced the lasting impact that trauma and unanswered questions can have throughout a person's life.
This is an important and memorable memoir that will resonate with readers who enjoy true stories about family, identity, resilience, and justice. I would happily recommend it to fans of memoirs that educate as much as they move.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

What an incredibly moving and poignant book this was. Meyer writes with such conviction and bravery, sharing parts of her story that I can only imagine were difficult to live through, let alone relive to share with readers. Her tone of voice throughout was gentle and refreshingly honest, even in some moments where I felt like I was intruding on a private conversation. To tell her own life story with this much integrity, while also acknowledging her trauma, was inspiring to say the least.

I couldn’t put this down, I read it over a weekend and found myself gravitating towards it whenever I wasn’t reading. A real page turner with so many beautiful and heartbreaking moments. I feel lucky to have read this and gotten a glimpse into Meyer’s life.

I really enjoyed reading this and enjoyed the memoir element to this book, it had that element that I was looking for about the black market adoption concept. I enjoyed getting into this journey and was engaged with how Patricia Knight Meyer shared this story, I'm glad I was able to read this and can't wait for more.

A relentless assault of memories. Every page is filled to the brim with pain, hope, and very wounded people trying to do their best. Knight Meyer recounts her life as a black market baby in excruciating detail, refusing to shy away from the ugliness of both life and death.
I felt the occasional references to studies and articles paired well with the grounded writing style, since the author’s story isn’t just her own, but the story of thousands and thousands of other children sold on the black market. It was both informative and deeply moving. For someone picking up this book with only a passing knowledge of adoption trauma, this felt educational without being a lecture.
Knight Meyer does an incredible job of bringing every person to life, humanizing them no matter what. I found her insights on what she believed people meant or may have felt was interesting with the actions and words of those around her written so objectively. She gave the reader both a look into the effects of adoption trauma on her responses, and the ability to form my own opinion. Including her recollections of her thoughts along with current beliefs created a visible timeline of hurt and healing.
I cried for her pain and loss, so vivid I had no choice but to weep. I truly felt her pain, and her joy, through her words.

Review will be published July 3rd on Goodreads and September 6th onTwitter.

Wow, what a doozie. If “Before We Were Yours” met “The Glass Castle,” this is something like what you would get. Exceptionally well-written, often in ways that make it feel like a novel. Also because some of the things that happen in her life feel unbelievable. Or at least you wish that they were untrue. Meyer’s blunt but caring honesty about her own life and experiences, as well as the realities of trauma inherent in adoption (legal and otherwise) is handled with the utmost care. Highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I've never read any other adoption story like this one! The fact that Patricia didn't have any legal papers until she was in her 40s is shocking. Her story really opens the reader's eyes about how adoptions can be incomplete and shady. I admire her for writing her story.

This is a well-written memoir about a topic that not enough people know about. At times this was difficult to get through because of the unimaginable trauma that the author faced, but it cast light on how complex and unromantic the adoption process and reunification can truly be. I really appreciated how honest Meyer was about her relationship with her (adoptive) parents, in that it wasn't black and white: there was genuine love and care there, but also horrific neglect and abuse. I will say that I expected a bit more of a deep dive into black market adoption as a whole to get more context for Meyer's personal experiences. There was some sprinkled in, but I think having more historical context or providing other examples of the industry would have strengthened the narrative a bit more. I still think this is an important book and one that I (as a non-adopted person) could see adoptees feeling seen in.

Plot: Non-fiction about the author’s black market adoption as an infant and her journey to grow and heal while seeking the truth.

Impression: Beautifully and engagingly written. I could feel Patricia’s longing to connect and rode the roller coaster of emotions with her through this process. She addressed some issues of adoption and reunification I had never considered.

Trigger Warning: mentions of sexual assault and verbal abuse

Star System: 5 star reads are books I can’t put down and/or make me cry. This is a book that will stick with me for either the topic, writing style, or emotional impact.
4 star books are unique or interesting and perhaps teach me something new. A feel good read is usually 4 stars.
3 star reads are good, solid books. I’m not necessarily learning or feeling anything new.
2 star books have some plot holes or timeline issues. These are the books that just aren’t believable.
1 star books are typically offensive

Meyer's intimate experience with adoption is both heartbreaking and insightful. Reliving these experiences must have made writing emotionally draining. I applaud her for her efforts as her refreshingly honest narration of such a tragic upbringing demonstrates her commitment to educating the public about how adoption affects children, from infancy to adulthood. Her desire to know her full history; the impact of addiction; the slow unveiling of deceptions make this story compelling.
As an educator, I appreciate the correct use of terminology. While I was unfamiliar with the modern vernacular surrounding adoption, Meyer explains terms from both the historical standpoint and the modern interpretation with respect to the individuals impacted. I especially appreciate the "Study Guide" at the end. It is very well written.
I highly recommend this novel.

This was such a gripping read. My heart broke, repaired itself, and broke over and over again. This kept me glued to my kindle. I absolutely love books like this and I have NO notes! Amazing. Will definitely be recommending to read this in my book club!

This memoir had me hooked from the very start! It felt like I was reading a novel. They say truth is stranger than fiction, and this story is a perfect example. I appreciate Patricia sharing so much of her life with us through this powerful memoir and opening my eyes to the black market adoption industry as well as the Baby Scoop Era. The very end had me so emotional and her release date is such a beautiful commemoration of someone very special to her. This is such an impactful story that needs to be heard!

What a read! Patricia has lived through it and it was an amazing insight to her life
Hard topics but a really good read

Meyer recounts her time growing up in a dysfunctional family after being adopted. Never having gone through the legal process of adoption and never having received any papers or birth certificate, she lives her life constantly wondering who her birth parents are and how she was adopted. Finally meeting her birth mother and birth father, Meyer finds herself in new relationships that aren't always what she hoped or imagined. Meyer's life journey throughout is honest and emotional.

I received a free copy of, Wonderland, by Patricia Knight Meyer, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have never really heard about illegal adoptions, before reading this book This was a heavy read but also a really interesting one.