So Many Ways to Belong Hardcover by Carol Atherton

Product Details

• Publisher: Fig Tree (2026-08-25)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 256 pages
• ISBN-13: 9780241767290
• Item Weight: 567.0 grams
• Dimensions: 0.0 x 0.0 x 0.0 cm

'Measured, deeply personal ... Seamlessly explores wider societal and historical representations of adoption' Jenni Fagan, Observer

‘This is a beautiful read; a poignant, clear-eyed and ultimately hopeful account of the massive leap of faith that is the adoption process. Carol Atherton captures the reality of the challenges, the barriers and the ultimate joy in one of the most complex of human relationships.' Dr. Gwen Adshead, author of The Devil You Know

Essential reading for those whose life has been—or may yet be—touched by adoption, and for anyone wanting to better understand its story.

Twenty years ago, Carol Atherton and her husband, Matthew stood together on the doorstep of a suburban house waiting to meet the small, red-headed toddler who would soon be woven into the fabric of their lives. But that moment was only one of many thresholds they crossed on their journey to becoming adoptive parents...

So Many Ways to Belong is the handhold Carol wishes she’d had two decades ago, when doubt and uncertainty shadowed every step. Honest and illuminating, it tells both a deeply personal story and the larger story of adoption itself—challenging stereotypes, exploding myths, and examining what it truly means to build a family.

It is an empathetic exploration of belonging, identity and our very human need for rootedness: to know who we are, where we’ve come from, and how we fit in.

About the Author

Carol Atherton is the author of Reading Lessons: An English Teacher’s Love Letter to the Books that Shape Us, which was shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards 2025. She is an English teacher, tutor and writer. Originally from Merseyside, she studied English at Oxford and now lives in Lincolnshire.