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As an adoptee, Caroline Clarke knew she had the right to
learn at least that about her birth mother, but
health data was only part of the unhidden information in the
sealed records. There were lots of clues in what Clarke was
told on that chilly afternoon; enough to help her figure out
who her biological mother might be. The shocker was that
Clarke had known her birth mother’s family for years.
From the time she was almost eight years old and learned
that she was adopted, Clarke told everyone that she wasn’t
interested in finding her birth mother. Secretly, though,
she dreamed of making the woman proud, and fantasized about
accidental, happily-ever-after meetings. She loved the
parents who raised her – adored them, in fact – but “all
adoptees are curious about their beginnings,” and Clarke was
no exception.
Her Daddy was shaken by the news. Her Mommy said to contact
the woman. Clarke’s husband was excited for her, but she sat
on the information until she couldn’t stand it any longer.
So she mustered up the courage and called Carole “Cookie”
Lane.
Cookie was the eldest (adopted) daughter of Nat “King” Cole
and, while away at college, had become pregnant. It was 1964
and that sort of thing was scandalous – especially since the
father was a white Jewish boy. Maria, Cookie’s adoptive
mother, sent her away to a home for pregnant girls. Cookie
was 20 years old.
As Cookie and Clarke excitedly began to erase the years
they’d missed, and as they shared “synchronicities” through
phone calls and huge boxes of mail, they also got “on each
other’s nerves.”
Clarke craved Cookie, but they obviously irritated one
another – enough to make Clarke wonder whether their
experience was “going to have that fairy-tale ending after
all.”
Though adoption-reunion stories are becoming commonplace due
to social media, author Caroline Clarke’s is unusual in that
there were some amazing coincidences that led her to Cookie,
before and after. Obviously, Clarke is awe-stricken about
those and yes, I was pretty impressed, too.
And yet, Postcards from Cookie has a bit of a
Peeping-Tom element: this is a very personal story of
adoption and love. While I thoroughly enjoyed reading it,
it’s easy to feel uncomfortable watching two vastly
different personalities dance around one another, trying to
get along.
So, ultimately, do they?
I’m not telling. You’re going to want to read this book. No,
seriously - you’re going to want to read this book
because Postcards from Cookie will send you away
satisfied. |
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