The Martin Chronicles

Laura set the bassinet down gently and backed away, smiling at us. Eugene nudged me, but I was shaking so hard, I couldn't pick up the baby. Eugene quickly scooped him up instead and cuddled him before placing him in my arms. Little Martín stared at me intently and then... he smiled. From the emotional moment when they first met, Eugene and Mary Beth were entranced by the three-month-old baby they'd traveled to Mexico to adopt. Then life took an unexpected turn. Bureaucratic bungling, political wrangling, Mexican holidays, and plain bad luck repeatedly delayed the adoption's final approval. Meanwhile, Eugene returned to the U.S., leaving Mary Beth in Puerto Vallarta with Martín. The Martin Chronicles-originally a series of email messages Mary Beth sent home to family and friends-recounts the trials and joys of a first-time mother with limited Spanish skills who was determined to make the best of a precarious situation. This heartwarming, lively narrative reveals a growing love not only for an adopted baby, but for his native country as well. Through comic adventures, budding friendships, and cultural celebrations, The Martin Chronicles gives an account of one family's incredible saga to bring their baby home.