The Brotherhood of Joseph: A Father's Memoir of Infertility and Adoption in the 21st Century

As an adoptive mom, I've read literally dozens of adoption memoirs, and this is the finest out there. Hansen is brutally honest about the sometimes harrowing (sometimes amusing) world of infertility and adoption. In a genre that naturally lists toward the mushy, this memoir is both muscular and moving. Even though the book flap tips you off to the ending, the journey truly is a nail biter. Highly recommeded

I'm not a parent, and I don't want to be a parent. I picked up this book because I'm a fan of Brooks Hansen. I am now an even bigger fan; nay, a DEVOTEE of Brooks Hansen! I wish I had words to describe how moved I have been by this remarkable account. Hansen can be as glib and laugh-out-loud funny (or more so) than Annie Lamott at her best, but much more than that, there is such riveting honesty and spiritual depth that shines through every page of this extraordinary book. The incisive and illuminating way that the story is told transcends the subject matter; it is a journey of the soul. It's so rare that a book brings me face to face, as this one has, with my most fundamental questions about what I believe is true about life, and what I value, and how I see my own role in the world. Thank you, Brooks Hansen! I hope this book gets the attention it deserves. If this is not a bestseller, the world will be poorer for it.

This memoir is a page-turner about the 6 year journey Hansen and his wife endured -- from Manhattan fertility clinics to a children's hospital in Siberia -- to start their family. Hansen's writing is graceful and honest, sometimes dryly funny, sometimes quietly reflective. The book is essential reading for anybody navigating the complicated terrain of fertility treatment and adoption today, or anybody interested in a compelling, passionate account of one couple's struggle to become parents.