Monique LaTrice is a writer and higher education professional who works with adult learners at an online university. She earned a B.A. in English Literature, an M.A. in Communications and is working on a doctorate.

Monique is an alumni of Beyond the Book Media’s 21-Day Author Bootcamp in which she completed her book, Late Discovery: How A Half-Adoptee Became Whole published through Beyond the Book Media in 2021. She is a contributing author of the BTBM anthology, Speak Up We Deserve to Be Heard, also published in 2021. Her other writing projects include the devotional 8 Week Journey of Self Discovery published in 2018 and Pieces of Me completed in 2020.

About Her Book – Late Discovery: How a Half-Adoptee Became Whole 

“I’m not your real dad.” These five words changed my life. Imagine being 35 years old and finding out that not only is the man who raised you not your real dad, but that you are also “half-adopted.” This is my story. In the time frame of one phone call, my whole identity was in question. I questioned who I was and how I would adapt to the truths that would change my life going forward. Once I hung up that phone ten years ago, there was no going back. 

While it took some time to move through this new identity, it ultimately brought me to a place of peace. I was pushed into finding a new normal for myself amongst the confusion surrounding my identity. This wasn’t easy; it took years for me to figure out who I was. I felt more alone than ever at first, but I had to keep going, keep asking questions, keep finding out why I had felt so out of place for a significant portion of my life. What I eventually knew was essential, for self-acceptance would push me out of my comfort zone so that I could start anew. 

However difficult it was to learn about and accept this new part of myself I never saw coming, it opened up the space for essential internal exploration. What I hadn’t known about my family history before helped me to become more dependent upon my faith and let go of the past so that I could move forward with forgiveness. While I thought I was independently searching for answers, God was always there leading the way.

I wanted to share my story to speak to the community of late discovery and half-adoptees who might have difficulty swallowing this devastating news. You are not alone. You may be struggling with a similar situation of family secrets, internal battles around identity, and with the notion of not fitting in with your family no matter how hard you’ve tried. No one should go through something like this without support, and perhaps now, no one will have to.