Somewhere Bluebirds Fly

By: Rick Farrant

Rick Farrant never thought he would find his birth mother. He never thought he would find a sense of belonging, a sense of home. Six decades into his life, he was resigned to the idea that his origins would forever remain a mystery. But all that changed when he decided to submit his DNA to an open-source database. In Somewhere Bluebirds Fly, Farrant recounts a dysfunctional childhood, a lifelong, chaotic struggle for identity punctuated by substance abuse, mental illness and failed relationships, and late-in-life discoveries about his origins that brought both acceptance and rejection. It is a story of perseverance and hope, and it illustrates the realities associated with searching for biological relatives at a time when millions of people worldwide are turning to science to make those connections. It also provides interesting anecdotal information for the ages-old nature versus nurture debate. Farrant’s story is supported by numerous documents, photographs and recollections dating back many decades. Just as illuminating is his honest, transparent account of a life lived in recurring turmoil. Although the story is set against the backdrop of adoption, it is insightful for anyone who has ever yearned to find themselves and to heal.