Moment of Departure

Twenty-one years ago, Kathy Roberson and her husband made what might've been the most difficult decision of their lives: they adopted a child with special needs who was, in adoption lingo, "hard to place." One-year-old Katie came with labels: African American, general development delays, mild cerebral palsy. And thus begins the Robersons' journey into new territory, both for them as parents and their other two young children as siblings.

Kathy Roberson's collection of poems relates her family's challenging adventure, beginning with the day they buckled Katie into her car seat for the first time, moving through the following two decades of bringing her into adulthood. Each poem mines the seemingly little things in life to unearth fundamental truths that will resonate for anyone who has encountered the frustrations and joys of caring for a loved one. Meet the Robersons and their beloved Katie, who leave a lasting impression of the things that matter most.

As Cathy Smith Bowers, author of five collections of poetry and recent poet laureate of North Carolina puts it, "Roberson teaches us not only how to see these often difficult and painful truths, but also how to turn them into art that comforts, heals, and resurrects us."