Catherine Marshall’s story reveals the heartbreak and hope of foster parenting.

Thirty-eight and newly married, Catherine yearned to be a mother and adoption seemed a viable option. The county’s Foster-Adopt Program was affordable, so she and her new husband were confident they could adopt and parent two siblings.

But nothing was as it seemed. The birth parents used intimidation and the court system to sabotage the adoption. The social services agency wavered in its support. Even the children, three-year old Jenny and six-year old Robert, were unaware of the ticking time bomb of genetics and early neglect that would detonate in their teens.

Would the family survive intact? Would the marriage withstand the stress? Would the children overcome the same afflictions and addictions that had plagued their birth parents?

The Easter Moose: One Family’s Journey Adopting through Foster Care provides all parents, but particularly those adopting, fostering, or caring for children with challenges, the assurance they are not alone. Social workers, teachers, people who work in the family court system, and anyone who believes in nurture over nature will get a reality check.