MANSFIELD — When he was 12 years old, Thomas Kirst set a goal to write a book about his unique life.
Kirst, 38, was one of more than 20 siblings adopted from around the world by a couple who fled Nazi-Germany.
In Sept. 2017, after 36 years of searching for family and acceptance, he met members of his bloodline for the first time.
In 1992 he shared his dream with one of his brothers, Tim Kirst. His brother made him sign a piece of paper as a document to keep his promise to write a book.
Now, his first book, ‘I Didn’t Know I was Black Until You Told Me,’ has been published by Newman Springs Publishing.
With his book, Kirst hopes to inspire readers to accept others for who they are.
“We’re all people,” Kirst said. “I think it’s hard for people to look outside of their race and not feel for themselves. To really get people to see that — to look beyond color and see people for their amazing potential.”
“My brothers are actually from Korea. When you look at Kim Jun Un, that’s what my brothers would be going through if they hadn’t been brought here by my mother and father.”
The book revolves around Kirst and his struggle and search for acceptance and love — and his transition through adulthood in short, typically one-page chapters.
Kirst’s first book has ties with hot topics such as immigration and migration to the United States.
“Whether people should be here or not, these people did amazing things,” Kirst said of his adoptive parents. “You know, my mom came from Germany, remembering the bombs and everything. Had she not lived, my life would be completely different.”
‘I Didn’t Know I Was Black Until You Told Me’ has a chapter about falling short of one of his other goals: meeting his birth mother, who died on March 14, 2007.
Learning of the death of his mother was heartbreaking, he said.
“I know, at this point, I’m coming to grips that it wasn’t in my life plan to know my birth parents. Not even meet them. It hurts a lot. I wanted to look them in the eyes. I wanted to say I love you and thank you for not aborting me,” he wrote in the final chapter. “I wouldn’t know my adoptive parents, I wouldn’t have my kids, I wouldn’t have been able to write this book.”
Kirst will host an event at 2858 Lexington Ave. in Lexington on May 4 to help support and create awareness for mental health in Richland County.
The event will host speakers from Catalyst Life Services, Reaching Out, Jonas Mission and the Adoption Network Cleveland in Cleveland.
Kirst will bring copies of his new book to sell. All of the proceeds will go towards the charities, he said.
