In the past, twins being separated through adoption were something that did happen without thinking about the effect on the twins over the long term. Adoptive parents in most cases did not realize they were adopting a twin and the other twin was being adopted by another family. I wonder how many families would have adopted twins if they had the knowledge that it was even a possibility. How many siblings were separated from their twin because of the adoption agency’s choice? Was it only to allow more couples the chance of parenting through adoption?

An adoptee went in search of her birth mother to find she had passed away but learned more information about her adoption. She discovered she had been adopted through a New York adoption agency that had some pretty strange ideas. They believed that twins would flourish if raised in separate adoptive homes. They did this all in the name of science. This adoptee also discovered she had a twin that also had been adopted.

The two adoptees did end up finding each other and have written a book sharing their adoption journey titled “Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited”. While I have not read this book because our library is very small and adoption related books are not in great demand. I have requested the book and hope to read it.

While both adoptees do not feel that twins should be separated, they seem to have peace with being adopted by their adoptive families. They have found their way back to a sibling relationship and have the twin connection between the two of them that had been taken from them before it was ever given a chance to develop. They have learned that they share a lot of similar likes, dislikes and interests.



More reading:

Adoptee and Birth Siblings

What do Adoptees Hope to Find?