Homing In

“In this beautifully written work, Susan Mossman Riva shares her fascinating journey to discover her family of origin, and her own identity. It is indeed a poignant journey into herself, as she explores her longings, her doubts, and her joys. The work is especially relevant to this era in which the seals on adoption cases are being removed. For us, it was an enthralling adventure on its own.”

— Mary and Kenneth Gergen, founders of the TAOS Institute

“Homing In is an autoethnography of the highest quality that examines adoption and kinship through the holistic and comparative lens of anthropology, convincingly arguing that nature and nurture are inextricably intertwined, exemplified through the author’s personal story that is akin to a transformative journey and comparable to a spiritual pilgrimage.”

— Alexander Rödlach SVD PhD Associate Professor of Medical Anthropology and Psychiatry Chair, Department of Cultural and Social Studies Creighton University

“Against the backdrop of the early 21st century, with its spiritual ennui and cyber (dis)connectedness, Susie Riva, in this remarkable book, deconstructs her sense of humanity. Her text is holistic and interconnected. She uses a three part structure to explore her life history from multiple temporal and conceptual vantage points. Writing from the present from Switzerland, she first explores her beginnings. In this section, she recreates and deconstructs the dialogue between her lived experiences and her family narratives, initially locating herself with the multi-generational narrative of the prominent adoptive Nebraska family in the Midwestern part of the US. She next describes the complex process of reconnection to her birth family, creating an awakening of unknown deep roots and shared meaning with a family she comes to know and love. Drawing from Native American spiritualism, she explores these two sides of herself not as a parallel or as lineal story lines, but rather as connected aspects of a personal mandala of life. The third part of the book moves to a higher level as she explores various cultural, spiritual, and personal dimensions of her circle life. Her book is not only the story of an amazing journey of life, it is also a scholarly autoethnography of one’s life.”

— Dr. Richard Sawyer, Professor of Education,

Washington State University,

Co-developer/author of duoethnography

“Homing In is a compelling and passionate must read for both adults with adoption histories seeking to better understand the fabric of their evolutionary and psychological DNA through the process of autoethnography, and seekers of a higher communicative pathway to integrated spiritual enlightenment. Through the captivating telling of her personal story of adoption, reunion and belonging, Dr. Riva provides a brilliant roadmap to healing and personal transformation using illuminating, poetic prose to reveal the therapeutic power of the personal story mandala, the importance of consciousness raising synchronicities, and the road to inner peace and a sense of anchored belonging. By embracing the oneness and synergistic connectivity of the human spirit at the level of family, community, and society, Dr. Riva masterfully communicates to the reader the importance of walking the road less traveled, consciously connecting to the tapestry of human life, and discovering and weaving one’s own story mandala along the way. Through the sharing of our own transformation process we have the power to transform others. Homing In is the equivalent of life’s poetry and Dr. Riva’s beautifully narrated prose and deep dive into history, anthropology, and human behavior will leave the reader fully engaged, illuminated, and ultimately transformed.”

— Dr. Connie Morror, Psychologist,

Research Associate Professor of Pediatrics,

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

• Book events at national booksellers in Dallas, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Omaha and

Lincoln, Nebraska; and Atlanta, Georgia

• International book events in Canterbury, England and Sion and Geneva Switzerland

• Academic presentations including the Swiss Anthropology Association’s Annual Meeting at the University of Geneva; the ESREA Conference in Canterbury with Christ Church University; the Society for Applied Anthropology in Albuquerque; Creighton University in Omaha; the Narrative Matters Conference in Atlanta

• Mailings and ARCs to independent book stores

• ARC giveaways to consumers, booksellers, and librarians

• Appearances at book festivals, bookseller conferences, and librarian conferences

• Social media campaign

• National media campaign including Facebook, Blog, print, radio, and online

• Outreach to adoption organizations and associations including The Nebraska Children’s Home