From Chapter Three, "Are You My Baby?"

With two other couples and a mother traveling alone, Marc and I go to Ekaterinburg, Russia to adopt Natalie (whose given name is Nina). We have been directed to bring large boxes full of toys for the orphanage, and – because some Russians object to the international adoption of their children – to stay quiet about the purpose of our trip. OFIA is Our First International Agency.

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From Chapter Six, “Kazakhstan”

One of the little girls we had hoped to adopt was Vera, who lived in Kostenai, Kazakhstan. We had been looking for a child for so long, we accepted Vera's referral without thinking about what the trip to get her entailed. We learned, too late to change our minds, that it was an extremely arduous journey, with dangers for our five-year-old Natalie that included stops in Russia, where she was still a citizen (due to recent changes in Russian law). The decision of my sister-in-law, Sarah, to accompany us on the trip eased our concerns considerably, though it did not much lessen the risks. But our well-laid plans were changed on September 11, 2001.

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From Chapter Nine, “Do Not Pass Go”

Marc and I have been called to Ukraine on a moment's notice to meet a little girl about whom we can know – legally – nothing. Abe, the director of our adoption agency in Chicago, comes with us to make sure the process works as planned. But the director of the orphanage in Odessa, where the child lives, refuses to let us meet her. The director insists that a Ukrainian couple is interested in adopting the child who has been referred to us. Our Ukrainian facilitator, Alexi, tries his best to persuade her to relent.

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