A Book About An Adoptee’s 30 Year Search

I was extremely lucky to met Rhonda Noonan in person while I was in Louisville, Kentucky with the Adoptee Rights Coalition. She represents the epitome of the romanticized adoptee search; she spent over half her life searching to find that she really DID have a famous long lost relative. In Rhonda’s case, her grandfather was Winston Churchill!

Yes, That Winston Churchill

While it might sound like a made for TV movie or like something we might find ourselves watching on Lifetime, I can assure that Rhonda’s story is really true. You don’t even have to take my word for it as Rhonda has shared her 30 year adoption search with the world; turning it into a can’t-put-down adoption memoir; The Fifth and Final Name: Memoir of an American Churchill

I knew Rhonda was working on telling her story and was thrilled when she Facebooked me inquiring about building her the companion website for the book. In addition to the pleasure of working with her, the added bonus was I got to read The Fifth and Final Name: Memoir of an American Churchill
before its release. Immediately upon receiving the PDF, I hopped on my I-Pad and wrapped myself in someone else’s words.

A Tale that Must be Read to Be Believed

While many folks here understand the difficulty of find one’s true identity when adopted, or completing an adoption search for a birthmother or father; Rhonda’s story has that added component of such things like the FBI’s involvement and very thick blanket of lies. She starts from the beginning and takes the reader with her as she uncovers layer upon layer of lies and deceit. It is a testament to anyone about to throw in the towel of a difficult search; if Rhonda can find her truth, then you still have hope.

Her story reads like a mystery novel, though you already know “who done it”.  The desire is to uncover a real past, to find real proof, and Rhonda does just that.  She fights a system that is known to never release anything to the adoptee, perfectly documenting a battle that affects so many.

When the end is reached, you will not doubt the validity of her claims, for she has inherited the DNA strain that was so obvious in her famous grandfather; she never, never, never, never, gave up. While Rhonda wins out in the end, The Fifth and Final Name illustrates the injustice in the closed record system while providing a strong primer of adoption truth and adoptee understanding that the non adoption affected can understand.

I recommend reading The Fifth and Final Name: Memoir of an American Churchill
and then I recommend buying a copy and sending it to your favorite state legislator of choice with a request to support Adoptee Rights bills.