The Place of Peace and Crickets: How adoption, heartache and love built a family

When journalist Tricia Booker and her husband had trouble conceiving, they followed the well-worn footsteps of couples exploring in-vitro fertilization. Two years and thousands of dollars later, they decided to have a long fulfilling life - without children.

Instead, they became immersed in the world of international adoption. Their first child, born in Vietnam, introduced them to exotic travel and a poor but loving orphanage where infants slept with their caretakers.

Then came Guatemala, a...