Thank you to Atmosphere Press for the chance to read the e-book version of The Bond by A.M. Groticelli. This is a true story of loss and finding belonging under unlikely circumstances. A group of foster children who grew up with strict and unconventional foster parents learned to become independent adults and form a found family. The author and his biological siblings were placed with a family who did not necessarily get into foster care for altruistic reasons. The parents used the children as free labor for their chores and DIY projects. Although the author describes more work than play, he does hint at friendships formed among the foster siblings, moments of pride in their work and family outings that were new experiences for the children. I found the situation they were in to be a difficult one even though they weren’t physically abused. The parents favored their biological children. There were verbal altercations and manipulation that may have been difficult to identify as a child growing up in it. The author presents the story with nostalgia and pain, but ends on a happier note. For one thing the children all grew up to have loving families of their own, using what had happened to them as an example of what not to do. They became found family for each other and still stay in touch. #netgalley

There are many accounts of children’s experience in “the system” but this brings light to a real and often understated aspect of how fostering can attract people with mercenary intent. The account is moving and ultimately uplifting as we see that families take many forms and can develop across the unlikeliest of groupings. A very interesting read.

A soul searching memoir about living with foster parents and a host of siblings. The author discussed the pain and hurt his foster parents foisted on most of their kids, yet they still kept returning because they were looking for belonging and acceptance.

The Bond is a powerful memoir that chronicles the strength of the relationships formed among a collection of unrelated siblings who forged a remarkable, separate, and permanent family within a foster home.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I've read a lot of books written by former foster care people. I cringe when I think of foster homes since so many of them aren't healthy living environments for children who usually have some problems from their experiences. This book was somewhat different. The foster parents did bring in foster kids for the money and really took advantage of these kids. Luckily no extreme abuse and the foster kids got along with each other. The two biological kids were pretty screwed up but those foster kids created their own family that had a close bond. It's sad that they didn't have a better home or ever get to experience having loving parents or adoptive parents. But they sure do prove that family isn't always blood relation.