The Story Behind SIBLINGS: A Personal Journey Through Adoption

I was born in Devon and adopted nine days later by a warm, loving family in Bristol. I had a happy childhood, but always felt a quiet pull to understand where I came from. Out of love and respect for my adoptive parents, I kept that longing to myself until after they passed – I never wanted them to feel anything but cherished.
Years later, after a long and sometimes difficult search, I found more than I ever imagined… my birth mother, who told me she had always loved me, and three full sisters I never knew I had. That quiet, life-changing connection became the emotional heart of my SIBLINGS books.
It’s taken almost a decade to feel truly ready to share this story. For years, I carried it quietly, knowing it was too raw, too close. I needed time to reflect, to process, to find the courage to shape it into fiction. In the meantime, I wrote other novels, but this series is by far the most personal work I’ve done. When the moment came, I didn’t question it. I just knew – it was time.
Emma’s Story, the latest book, explores adoption through an insider’s lens – themes of identity, belonging, loss, and reconnection. Though the characters are fictional, the emotional truths are very real.
Each SIBLINGS novel stands alone, with overlapping characters and storylines. You don’t need to have read Kit’s Story (available online) to enjoy Emma’s Story. I’m still working on the series – there’s one more SIBLINGS book to come.
At a recent library event, a grandfather told me how much the books had helped him understand his adopted grandchildren. That really touched me, because that’s exactly why I’m writing SIBLINGS.
Emma’s Story launches 28 June. Just search Hilary Coombes SIBLINGS on Amazon.
More at www.hilarycoombes.com, or email me at hilarycoombes.author@gmail.com.