Family Matters
Lorri Antosz Benson
Press Release
*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Let’s Talk Family.
Contact: Kate Farrell
Publicist, Familius LLC
Can Two Strangers Share Motherhood?
New memoir shows how a closed adoption became the unifying factor between a birth mother, an adoptive mother, and the baby they both called their daughter.
SANGER, Calif., August 2016– The decision to place a child up for adoption is one that shapes multiple futures—the birth mother’s, the adoptive mother’s, and the baby’s.
But after a closed adoption, is it possible for their futures to merge and their lives to become intertwined? Is it possible to share motherhood?
To Have and Not to Hold is a new adoption memoir like no other. Lorri Antosz Benson was a young, single, driven television producer on the national stage. When she found herself unexpectedly pregnant she made the heartbreaking decision she thought best for her unborn daughter Aimee and placed her for adoption. The painful decision worsened when Lorri realized too late that the “final adoption” she had agreed to legally meant a closed adoption. No updates. No pictures. No contact. No future with Aimee.
Through Lorri’s personal account, letters, and photos To Have and Not to Hold shares the touching journey of one birth mother as she worked to open the door for communication without interfering with the family she helped create. What she never expected was what lay on the other side of that door—a soul connection with not just her daughter, but her daughter’s adoptive mom, a woman generous enough to share the impossible . . . motherhood. To Have and Not to Hold shows the deep bond of friendship and love between the two mothers—one gave the gift of life, hope, and family. The other shared everything she had for love of her child.
“To Have and Not to Hold boosts us all high enough to peek over the wall that surrounded the author during this deep and very personal drama. We become witnesses to the moral courage of a cast of people who know what love means.”
—Phil Donahue host of DONAHUE
About the Author:
Lorri Antosz Benson is a former syndicated columnist and talk show producer. She worked for Donahue for fifteen years, eight of which were spent as Senior Producer. Lorri received two Emmy Awards for her work with Donahue and was awarded the American Women in Radio and Television Commendation. Lorri and her daughter, Taryn, co-authored the book Distorted, a memoir delving into her daughter’s struggle with an eating disorder. She has been featured on the Today Show and the Montel Williams Show. Her work has led her to become an active speaker and expert on eating disorders, and a family advocate.
About the Publisher: Familius is a family and parenting media publisher devoted to creating content that helps build strong values and happy families. As a digitally savvy, multi-media publisher, we share our family-driven content in multiple formats, including print, e-books, videos, apps. Through Familius.com, we also provide an online community where parents can seek out and share advice and access a wealth of contemporary parenting content, tools, and resources rooted in traditional family values. Let’s Talk Family. http://www.familius.com
Book Details:
Title: To Have and Not to Hold: The Bonding of Two Mothers through Adoption
Author: Lorri Antosz Benson
Publisher: Familius
Publication: November 8, 2016
Price: $16.95
ISBN: 9781942934813
Trade Paperback, 192 pages
*Available from bookstores, online booksellers and www.familius.com
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