MIDDLETON, Wis. — A Wisconsin woman has found a second career writing children’s books based on the stories of her adopted daughters and their friends. 

It’s a story about finding who you are. Retired school counselor Kathy Nieber-Lathrop now writes children’s books. Her most recent is called “Gingko Finds Her Forever Home.”

It’s all because of her second, and third, time becoming a mom. Her son was already grown and out of the house when she and her husband expanded their family. 

“About 25 years ago, 30 years ago, China had their one child policy. Because of [centuries-old] standards in China, they always revered the male,” she said. “We saw this happening and some of the horrific repercussions of it, like genocide of female Chinese girls.” 

Then one day, it clicked. 

“I turned to my husband and I said, we have a home, we have love, they do not have either,” she said. “Nine months later, we got Emmy.” 

They have two adopted daughters, Emmy and Maya, both born in China. Gingko Finds Her Forever Home is dedicated to them: “For Emmy and Maya, my forever daughters.” 

“It’s the best decision we ever made,” she said, her voice starting to crack. “I get a little choked up thinking about it, talking about it.” 

Every year, they’d go on a camping trip to Devils Lake with other Wisconsin families who adopted Asian children. 

“Natalie, she’s one of the adoptees from New Berlin. She brought a little tree and planted it and it was struggling,” Nieber-Lathrop said. “It had to be replanted and then replanted.” 

Now, that tree is about 30 feet tall. That tree, and the stories of her daughters and other adoptees, serve as inspiration for the book, about growing right where you’re planted. 

“It flourished because of all the love that we were bringing it,” she said. 

For more on her books, click here.