You often hear the phrase "fact is stranger than fiction". This is one of those times. As a new mother of an adopted child, Vanessa McGrady follows her heart and allows her child's biological parents to stay with her. You see this situation on tv soap operas, not in real life. There's a reason for that. The emotions of all concerned are raw, the connections between mother and child have not developed completely, the "helpful" comments and actions of everyone involved are anything except helpful.
It is most definitely a different kind of adoption and makes a fascinating story. What we all learn from the story will be unique to each of us but I certainly learned from her examples.

Very interesting read. The fact that this is someone’s life story is incredible! It wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read though.

Really good story! I enjoyed the characters and had a hard time putting the book down! The ups and downs sucked me in. I will definitely recommend this book.

An honest look at adoption a unique very unusual open adoption.Vanessa adopts Grace finally has a beautiful daughter.Vannesa then does something very few of us would do when Graces parents her birth parents are homeless Vanessa takes them into her home. A book of this unusual family life funny warm human.#netgalley #littleA

Rock Needs River is an intriguing memoir about Vanessa McGrady's very open adoption of her daughter Grace. And as traumatic as it was, as all 'transplants' are, the honest and very transparent way this adoption went has to be better than secretive way most adoptions in my day were handled. So many questions that adoptees need answers to are literally just facts of life.

It can't have been easy for any of the adults in this memoir to be this frank and open about their feelings concerning the adoption. I am grateful that they were able to share those emotions such a life altering decision would naturally arise. It would be interesting to see something from Grace's perspective as she grows up, but this memoir alone was enough to make me a believer in open adoptions.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel February 7th, 2019 from Netgalley, Vanessa McGrady, and Little A Publishers in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

Hard to review because one doesn't want to pass judgment on someone's life or life choices. That said, McGrady's got an interesting story to tell. I suspect this one generated a lot of divergent opinions on both McGrady and her writing. Read it, however, for Grace's story. Not my usual cup of tea but I'm glad to have read it.

I struggle with reviewing memoirs. Who am I to pass judgement on not only someone’s story, but their LIFE. It’s simply not my place. That being said, Rock Needs River was a good memoir on adoption, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t read MUCH better memoirs. The first few chapters seemed pretty pointless to me, honestly. And I felt like I needed more of Grace in the story. I think it would’ve been special if McGrady could have waited until Grace could’ve been more involved in the process and then could have written it as mother and daughter, adoptive mother and adoptee.

The author's raw honesty about the open adoption of her daughter is an emotional read. Not many people would invite the parents of the child that they adopted to move in with them after they become homeless. The author did this and writes an honest and candid account of the emotional roller coaster the situation created. I definitely recommend this book!