Romanian adoptee and Author Yael Adler wrote From Gypsy to Jersey to share her uplifting personal story, in the hopes of inspiring and helping other adoptees who want to learn more about their past and uncover their roots.

Yael shares her hopes and fears as she makes the journey back, ultimately connecting with her Roma (Gypsy) family and learning about a fascinating and misunderstood culture that is undeniably a part of who she is today.

She looks back at the conditions in the country around the time of her birth, with the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and the collapse of communism — a period when nearly 100,000 abandoned children were living in neglect in institutions across Romania. Yael learned how an ABC 20/20 television series on Romanian orphanages gave her parents the courage to pursue a private adoption.

Yael has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and is currently director of marketing for Thrive Alliance Group, a nationally recognized expert in fostering K-12 mental wellness. Married and the mother of three, Yael and her family live in Randolph, New Jersey. Yael enjoys being active in the adoption community and savors every opportunity to listen and learn from other adoptees, adoptive parents and birth families. To learn more about Yael visit her website, www.fromgypsytojersey.com