Is 5 Too Late?

Rev. Gail L. Rocke | English, 2010

The author said, “I tell the true story of how I came to adopt four children from four different ethnicities. … The book is a step-by-step narration of all significant events relating to the adoption portion of my life.” The main purpose of the book is to make readers aware of the devastating effects that any child’s early childhood experiences can have on him or her. The book considers whether a child is “salvageable” at the age of five years, after experiencing years of neglect, abuse, and trauma after trauma. The author points out how inadequate are the resources available to adoptive families. She brings the readers through her own difficulties, including her divorce, her alcoholism, her suicidality, and, finally, her spiritual awakening.