The Girl With Three Birthdays

An Adopted Daughter’s Memoir of Tiaras, Tough Truths, and Tall Tales

By: Patti Eddington

Narrated by: Rosemary Benson

Patti Eddington always knew she was adopted, and her beloved parents seemed amenable enough to questions—but she never wanted to hurt them by expressing curiosity, so she didn't. The story of her mother cutting off and dying her hair when she was a toddler? She thought it was eccentric and funny, nothing more. When she discovered at fifteen that her birthday wasn't actually her birthday? She believed it when her mother said she'd changed it to protect her from the "nosy old biddies" who might try to discover her identity.

It wasn't until decades later, when a genealogy test led Patti to her biological family (including an aunt with a shocking story) and the discovery of yet another birthday, that she really began to integrate what she thought she knew about her origins. Determined to know the truth, she petitioned a court to unseal records that had been locked up for almost sixty years-and began to put the pieces of her past together, bit by bit.

Framed by a brief but poignant 1963 "Report of Investigation" based on a caseworker's one-day visit to Patti's childhood home, The Girl With Three Birthdays tells the story of an adoptee who always believed she was the answer to a couple's seventeen-year journey to become parents, until a manila envelope from a rural county court arrived and caused her to question . . . everything.

©2024 Patti Eddington (P)2024 Tantor

Well written

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Patti’s story. I resonated with so many of her memories. I listened and laughed and was brought to tears a few times too. Reading Patti’s story was like listening to a friend.

Uplifting Memoir

I feel refreshed after reading this memoir. Patti Eddington is honest, humble, and humorous. I chuckled many times while reading and also got a lump in my throat because there’s so much love here.
This book held my interest because it’s populated by truly lovely and inspiring people. It gives me hope to read about people who treat others well and make a positive change in society.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an interesting and unforgettable true story by someone who makes very unexpected discoveries about her adoption circumstances and accepts it all with warmth, grace, and gratitude.