The Waiting by Cathy LaGrow

In the 1920's, unwed and single mothers were not accepted like they are today.  So when Minka Disbrow was raped and ended up pregnant, an adoption was seen as the best choice.  The Waiting is the true story of Minka's journey, always longing for the little girl she had given up - and eight decades later finding her prayers answered. 

The author, Cathy LaGrow, is Minka's granddaughter.  No one in the family even knew that Minka had given up a baby for adoption.  When the details of her story began to unfold, Cathy used old letters, her grandmother's memories, and research to portray these events as accurately as possible.  The result is a beautiful memoir to a life well lived, and a reunion story that will bring you to tears.

Minka lived to be 102 years old!  In the telling of her story, Cathy often brought in what was happening historically during different time periods.  It's amazing to think of how much change a person can witness during a century.  Minka has a lesson to teach us all about waiting...never give up!  Many people would have given up hope after so long, but Minka held onto the hope that God could answer her prayer to see her baby girl again - and she got even more than she could have imagined.

This story is very well-written.  Sometimes there was a bit more detail than I wanted to know, but I understand why it's there - this is a family keepsake, preserving this story for generations to come.  It was interesting to travel back in time and see how another generation lived and thrived. 



*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for an honest review.