“[A] piercing memoir . . . very beautiful and very sad.” ―The New Yorker
God and Jetfire is Amy Seek’s candid account of her decision to surrender her son in an open adoption and of their relationship over the twelve years that follow. When she first discovers she is pregnant, Seek and her ex-boyfriend begin an exhaustive search for a family to raise their child. They sift through countless “Dear Birthmother” letters, craft an extensive questionnaire, and interview potential couples. But finding the right match and giving up their child is just the beginning, and in the months and years that follow, Seek struggles to reconcile her sadness with the hope that she’s done the best for her son, a struggle complicated by her continued, active presence in his life. Written with literary poise and distinction, God and Jetfire is a story of a live divided between grief and gratitude, regret and joy. It is an elegy for a lost motherhood, a celebration of a family gained, and an apology to a beloved son.
“I have not read a more comprehensive book on the grieving that accompanies the adoption process . . . this important memoir resonate[s].” —Jennifer Gilmore, The New York Times Book Review
“lyrical and open-hearted … The heart of God and Jetfire isn’t, ultimately, about …systemic problems in adoption, but rather the more universal experience of making a hard, unclear choice, and having to live with its outcome.” —Kathryn Joyce, The New Republic
“Seek beautifully expresses the universal experiences of loss and longing, and elucidates how adoption, and motherhood itself, is a lesson in holding conflicting realities at the same time.” —Jillian Lauren, Los Angeles Times
“A heart-tugging and occasionally heart-racing account of how Seek finally opts to stay on the periphery of her son’s life . . . This poignant book reflects how her life has been intimately shaped by that absence.” —Judy Bolton-Fasman, Boston Globe
“An eye-opening look at the adoption process, and Seek, whip-smart and wary, is an astute guide.” —Barbara Spindel, SFGate