”Reads like a mystery novel, but the facts it reveals are hauntingly true… Siegal does a fantastic job of breaking down a complicated story… Finding Fernanda is a gripping read that offers glimpses of hope in what was an otherwise heartbreaking system.” —The Christian Science Monitor
“A moving story… really tugs at your heartstrings.” —CBS Radio News
“A story that exposes things that many of us thought impossible… even as we realized that things were getting bad, they were obviously worse than we imagined….” —GuatAdopt.com
“…The most in-depth and compelling treatment of the topic I have ever read.” —Boing Boing
“Heavy-duty investigative reporting and compelling personal testimony…. Some of the details of the dark side of the industry in Guatemala are Dickensian in their cruelty. But the tone of the book is, perhaps surprisingly, not despairing…. Upon finishing Finding Fernanda, one realizes that supporting of that very civil society, along with the work of bodies such as CICIG, will advance the cause of justice for victims such as Alvarado. Along with its moving personal story of a family torn asunder, Finding Fernanda can also be read as a call to action.” —The Miami Herald
”Finding Fernanda may be the most illuminating book about abuses in international adoptions yet written. This is not just fearless public service journalism, but also a moving, acute, gracefully-written work of story-telling. Erin Siegal is an extraordinary young journalist.” —Francisco Goldman, author of Say Her Name and The Art of Political Murder
“Fernanda’s story carries us into the darkest regions of the human heart… Erin Siegal has written a saga of seduction and betrayal so sinister that anger pushes you from page to page. Rarely has an investigative reporter unveiled so compelling a narrative of motherhood–from Guatemala to Tennessee.” —Wayne Barrett, investigative journalist and author of Trump: The Deals and the Downfall and Rudy! An Investigative Biography Of Rudy Giuliani
“Oh, what a story… It is hard to believe that such things go on in this world of ours, but Erin Siegel has woven a lively, well-researched and cautionary tale that is a must-read…” —Cathryn Jakobson Ramin, author of New York Times bestseller, Carved In Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife
“Erin Siegal peels back layers of deception to reveal a twisting and engrossing saga of two deeply wronged mothers and the girl they both claimed. Her brave account is chilling, and should be required reading for policymakers and anyone who cares about children.” —E. Benjamin Skinner, 2009 Dayton Literary Peace Prize winner and author of A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face With Modern Day Slavery
“Erin Siegal is an intrepid journalist with many talents… She is also a dogged researcher with a knack for finding new, interesting and important information other people miss. She does not like the beaten track…. Hers is original and groundbreaking work.” —Sheila Coronel, director of the Stabile Center for Investigative Reporting at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism
“The research on this book is impeccable. It is so hard to read or hear about these kinds of stories… Though this book is non-fiction, the story moves along so well that the end you go – wow, this is really real. You get mad reading this, making you want to do something, be an activist. And if you find yourself feeling that way, I suggest you pass this book along to all your friends, family, and anyone else you can think of!” —Hanging Off the Wire blog
“We continued to get more impressed as we turned the pages… an excellent read for anyone concerned about human rights and human trafficking. A remarkable job of reporting and storytelling.” —Sad City Hartford blog
“Finding Fernanda by Erin Siegal is a piece of masterful reporting on the issue of black market international adoptions. Siegal tells the story through two women… Their hells are documented, as well as the role played by high-level and low-level crooks, public officials and international law.” —Rita Henley Jensen, Founder, Women’s eNews
