The Dreams We Carry

Tania has carried fears since she was a child, fears that don't allow her to get close to anyone. Then her grandson arrives, a child who doesn't share her blood.

When Tania's son and daughter-in-law begin the journey to adopt a newborn baby, she is excited for them. But beneath her joy lies a fear she has carried for decades. Having endured exile from Cuba, family separation, and personal losses, Tania has spent much of her life protecting her heart from the pain of loving, of getting too close.

Then Noah arrives.

From the moment he enters their lives, the tiny boy begins transforming everyone around him. As Tania watches her son become the devoted father she always hoped he would be, she discovers that the greatest obstacle is not learning to love her grandson-it is finding the courage to let herself love him without fear.

Woven throughout Noah's first year are reflections on family, sacrifice, adoption, grief, motherhood, faith, and the invisible threads that connect generations. Along the way, Tania reflects on two remarkable women whose choices forever shaped her family's story, revealing how acts of extraordinary courage can change countless lives.

Rich with humor, tenderness, and hope, this memoir is more than the story of a little boy's first year. It is the story of healing across generations and of the remarkable power of love to bridge loss, mend hearts, and unite a family in ways Tania never imagined.

For readers who love inspiring true stories about family, adoption, resilience, and hope, this unforgettable memoir reminds us that the greatest gifts often come from the most difficult choices.

From the award-winning author Betty Viamontes.