Michigan Arts & Culture

New novel follows young, biracial adoptee's journey of self-discovery

Michigan Public | By Stateside Staff

Published July 5, 2016 at 4:22 PM EDT

Shannon Gibney says thanks to adoptee activism, awareness of the challenges of transracial adoptions has changed since she was adopted as a child.

Writer Shannon Gibneytackles some very sensitive and emotional subjects in her new young adult novel See No Color.

First, she speaks to us with the voice of a teenage girl, and that alone can present a merry-go-round of turbulent emotions.

Next, that teen, named Alexandra Kirtridge, is an adoptee. And layered over all of that is the fact that Alex is biracial, adopted by white parents as a very young child.

It's a sensitively written story that takes readers through all kinds of questions about family, race, identity and self-discovery.

See No Color recently won a Minnesota book award for young adult literature.

Gibney joined us today to talk about the book, and how awareness of the challenges of transracial adoptions has changed in her lifetime.

GUEST Shannon Gibney is a writer, educator and activist. She grew up in Michigan, and now lives in Minneapolis with her husband and children.