Their Faces Shone: A Foster Parent’s Lessons on Loving & Letting Go
About the Book
"I need help," I whispered, not sure if I was talking to myself or to God. "I don't want to let her go."
After her daughter was born, Kate Rademacher desperately wanted another child, but her husband did not. Following years of negotiation, the couple decided to become foster parents. What began as an uneasy compromise blossomed into an authentic calling and a deep love for their two-year-old foster daughter. When the girl transitioned back to her biological family, Kate thought she had learned the lesson in loving and letting go. But when an unexpected crisis occurred, Kate realized the lessons in how to love, accept, surrender, and forgive were only just beginning. In this poignant, honest story, the author explores the question of where family begins and ends, and how things change when we invite strangers—with complicated stories and baggage—into our lives.
For people who have considered becoming foster parents, many worry about the emotional risks involved. Before Rademacher's foster daughter arrived, she shared these concerns; she was deeply afraid of the heartbreak that seemed likely, and she worried that fostering could threaten her own family's peace. Rademacher's story is an insightful and ultimately hopeful examination of whether it's possible to love and let go without bitterness. With self-effacing humor and honesty, Rademacher describes how the experience of fostering impacted her marriage and her biological daughter and changed their lives forever.
Praise for Their Faces Shone
“A luminous memoir about what it means to love well in all the many ways we create family. With pages that are engaging and enlightening, Rademacher writes fearlessly about parenting, marriage, career and calling with an honesty that draws us close for beautiful lessons which resonate long after her chapters end.”
-Kathy Izard, award-winning author of The Hundred Story Home
“A riveting, candid and thought-provoking account of one’s family journey through fostering. In compelling and evocative prose, Rademacher digs deep into the nature of love, loss, and family, and her unique insights linger long after the last page has been turned.”
-Erica C. Witsell, award-winning author of the novel, Give
“Their Faces Shone conveys a complex, heartbreaking love story with humanity and relatability. This recounting of Rademacher’s family's journey is an essential read for anyone contemplating becoming a foster parent. Beyond that, it is a fascinating, multifaceted exploration of marriage. This book challenged and expanded my understanding of love, and the story it tells has lodged itself in my heart."
- Elizabeth Futrell, co-author of Roar: True Tales of Women Warriors
“By sharing her family’s heart-opening, heart-wrenching experience with fostering (and losing) a daughter, Rademacher shines light on the twisted and broken paths we all encounter in our lives...giving us a model for how to step forward in faith.”
- Christy Wilkens, creator of Faithful, Not Successful blog