The Syrian Jewelry Box

Book excerpt: After she discovers a shocking family secret, Carina takes a journey toward self-acceptance in this “must-read for anyone who is adopted” (Richard Krawczyk). A young American growing up in the Middle East, Carina Rourke enjoys a blissful innocence until, at age fifteen, she is captivated by an obsessive desire to look inside her mother’s forbidden jewelry box. There, Carina discovers a shocking family secret. On the heels of her discovery, she and her family pursue her father’s dream of a road trip through the Middle East and Europe. Their adventure serves as a metaphoric journey for the woman Carina becomes—a silent nomad searching for identity. When they reach Paris, Carina is entranced by the city’s temptations. French pastries become a dangerous addiction and an accomplice in silence . . . and so does the love of a mysterious Tunisian. Many years later, as a married mother in Holland, Carina draws on her father’s wisdom to finally confront the family secret and begin to heal herself and her family. “Carina’s book shows you how to become empowered by the sometimes shocking and traumatic experience of adoption.” —Richard Krawczyk, author of Ultimate Success Blueprint