Two Mothers and Their 60-Year Old Secret

By Nita Rogers



 

I read Nita B. Rogers’, Two Mothers and Their 60-Year Old Secret, start-to-finish in an afternoon. I couldn’t put it down! It’s a touching memoir that addresses what all adoptees desire: their DNA.

                In the 1930’s out-of-wedlock pregnancies were kept hush-hush and met with disgrace; therefore, “an oral pact, never to tell anyone” was created and kept by two mothers.

Nita Rogers was raised by her adoptive parents, Tommy and Minnie Brock. She grew up as an only child in Shreveport, Louisiana, and experienced a “wonderful” life. It wasn’t until she reached the second grade when a playmate blurted, “They aren’t really your mother and daddy… go ask them!” did she have any indication the Brock’s weren’t her biological parents. Over the next 60 years Nita’s adoptive mother, Minnie, would remain tightlipped, and details of Nita’s adoption would remain a mystery.

 “My adoption was the furthest thing from my mind for many years,” Nita Rogers explains. Then in 1977 as her children were coming into adulthood, “the haunting truth of my adoption now came to my mind regularly,” did she decide to broach the subject once again with her aging mother. However, Minnie was so “defensive and uncomfortable” discussing it, that Nita eventually dropped the matter.   

Receiving little to no information on such a personal level must have been incredibly frustrating to Nita. I admired both her restraint and respect towards Minnie’s personal boundaries.

After Minnie Brock’s death in 1987 Nita began contacting cousins and family members in hopes they could provide details of her adoption. Although many were aware of Nita’s adoption, they weren’t privy to any details. Minnie had stayed true to her word.

I cheered with Nita when in 1992 she ultimately discovered her birth mother’s name: Mona Odom.

Two Mothers and Their 60-Year Old Secret is a story of faith, perseverance and reconciliation. Nita Rogers also makes it clear that if she never discovered her birthparents; her life would still be complete. She states that, “Knowing God as my Father was the bedrock of security I needed… Trusting Jesus Christ as my personal savior gave me forgiveness, acceptance, and purpose for my life.”

I was deeply touched by Nita Rogers Dedication. She dedicates her book to women in crisis pregnancy situations for choosing life and giving “the innocent unborn the opportunity to live and make contributions in this world.” She also dedicates her book to the countless adoptees seeking to find “their biological heritage.”

                I give Two Mothers and Their 60-Year Old Secret two thumbs up. It is wonderfully and thoughtfully written and is a must-read for those seeking to locate their birthparents.

It’s published by Life Sentence Publishing, LLC, and is available both in paperback and on Kindle.

*Disclosure. This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from Life Sentence Publishing.