What can we learn about the experience of adoption from those who have walked that journey? How can those touched by adoption navigate successfully through the issues of search, reunion, and aftermath? Will those answers have a positive impact on adoption in the 21st century? These are some of the questions answered in this book. Drawing upon the experiences of dozens of triad members - adopted persons, birthparents, and adoptive parents - the authors offer insight into the concerns, issues, joys, and pain experienced by those whose lives are framed by adoption. Walking along the journey with all three members of the triad, the authors deal sensitively with the issues of those who grew up in closed adoptions and the impact on their lives. The book aims to highlight birthparents whose lives were forever changed by the painful relinquishment decision done in a closed system and discusses the impact on their lives decades after the event. Attention is also given to the needs and concerns of adoptive parents as their children grow into adults and face issues of search and reunion. Practical advice is provided that prepares all triad members to deal emotionally and psychologically with the process of search and reunion. Such questions as, "How do I make the decision to search? How do I prepare emotionally? What are my adoptive parents feeling and thinking? What if I am rejected or encounter death or reach a dead end? How do I develop a relationship with siblings I've never known?" are just a few of the real concerns that are covered in this thorough guide to a better understanding of the experiences of adoption and the emotional journey of search and reunion.