When Rain Hurts: An Adoptive Mother's Journey with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

By: Mary Evelyn Greene

Narrated by: Mary Beth Garber

When Rain Hurts is the story of one mother’s quest to find a magical path of healing and forgiveness for her son, a boy so damaged by the double whammy of prenatal alcohol abuse and the stark rigors of Russian orphanage life that he was feral by the time of his adoption at age three. Bizarre behaviors, irrational thoughts, and dangerous preoccupations were the norm - no amount of love, it turns out, can untangle the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome.

More people are coping with and caring for those affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders than individuals living with autism, but because there is a stigma associated with this preventable, devastating birth defect, it is a pandemic of disability and tragedy that remains underreported and underexplored. When Rain Hurts puts an unapologetic face to living and coping with this tragedy while doggedly searching for a more hopeful outcome for one beautiful, innocent, but damaged little boy.

©2013 Red Hen Press (P)2018 Red Hen Press

This is Wonderful and Affirming!!!!

As a mother of 4 biological siblings from the foster care system who were exposed to substances, this book was a godsend! I also work in the field of Adoption as the head of three Therapeutic departments for the last 18 years. I wish that all waiting families could read/ listen to this book, as there are no guarantees with adopted children, and no guarantees about in-Uterine exposure. The author is so real and compassionate and helped me to make sense of my children’s various degrees of exposure. The stories about school advocacy mimicked my own life and provided relief. This is a must read for all adoptive parents, regardless of what type of adoption, as well as Adoption professionals. Bravo! In addition, after 10 years my family found Dr. Federici mentioned many times in this book. He is the real deal, and totally gets “our kids.” I cannot recommend him enough! So glad this family found him too!

A memoir and reflections for parents with challenged children

Thank you Mary for candidly sharing your journey. As a parent to an adopted child with moderate FAS we can identify with a lot of what you wrote (fortunately for us with milder repercussions). It is a never ending journey. And they need all the love we can give them (where we unfortunately fail too often).
I also wish Sophie a lot of success (for lack of a better word). We have an adopted daughter too, who has too quietly lived with her challenges alongside.