American baby: a mother, a child, and the shadow history of adoption
Author:
Publisher:
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Publication Date:
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Language:
English
Description
"The shocking truth about postwar adoption in America, told through the bittersweet story of one teenager, the son she was forced to relinquish, and their search to find each other-- As Baby Boomers became teenagers in 1960s America, women were encouraged to stay home and raise large families, but sex and childbirth were taboo subjects. Premarital sex was common, but birth control was hard to get and abortion was illegal. In 1961, sixteen-year-old Margaret Erle fell in love and became pregnant. Her enraged family sent her to a maternity home, and after she gave birth, she wasn't even allowed her to hold her own son. Social workers threatened her with jail until she signed away her parental rights. Her son vanished, his whereabouts and new identity known only to an adoption agency that would never share the slightest detail about his fate. Claiming to be acting in the best interests of all, the adoption business was founded on secrecy and lies. American Baby lays out how a lucrative and exploitative industry removed children from their birth mothers and placed them with hopeful families, fabricating stories about infants' origins and destinations, then closing the door firmly between the parties forever. Adoption agencies and other organizations that purported to help pregnant women struck unethical deals with doctors and researchers for pseudoscientific "assessments," and shamed millions of young women into surrendering their children. Gabrielle Glaser dramatically demonstrates the power of the expectations and institutions that Margaret faced. Margaret went on to marry and raise a large family with David's father, but she never stopped longing for and worrying about her firstborn. She didn't know he spent the first years of his life living just a few blocks away from her; as he grew, he wondered about where he came from and why he was given up. Their tale--one they share with millions of Americans--is one of loss, love, and the search for identity. Adoption's closed records are being legally challenged in states nationwide. Open adoption is the rule today, but the identities of many who were adopted or who surrendered a child in the postwar decades are locked in sealed files. American Baby illuminates a dark time in our history and shows a path to reunion that can help heal the wounds inflicted by years of shame and secrecy"--
Subjects
Subjects
Adopted children
Adopted children -- United States
Adoption
Adoption -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Adoption agencies
Adoption agencies -- Corrupt practices -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Birthparents
Birthparents -- Identification
Brithparents
Brithparents -- Identification
Corrupt practices
History
Identification
Katz, Margaret Erle
Rosenberg, David
Rosenberg, David, -- 1961-2014
Social conditions
Teenage mothers
Teenage mothers -- United States -- Social conditions -- 20th century
Adopted children -- United States
Adoption
Adoption -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Adoption agencies
Adoption agencies -- Corrupt practices -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Birthparents
Birthparents -- Identification
Brithparents
Brithparents -- Identification
Corrupt practices
History
Identification
Katz, Margaret Erle
Rosenberg, David
Rosenberg, David, -- 1961-2014
Social conditions
Teenage mothers
Teenage mothers -- United States -- Social conditions -- 20th century
More Details
ISBN:
9780735224681
9780735224704
9780735224704
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Staff View
Grouping Information
Grouped Work ID | e3b67af2-02fa-397b-7f7f-ffbd6c72c346 |
---|---|
Grouping Title | american baby a mother a child and the shadow history of adoption |
Grouping Author | gabrielle glaser |
Grouping Category | book |
Grouping Language | English (eng) |
Last Grouping Update | 2024-07-01 19:26:48PM |
Last Indexed | 2024-07-01 22:48:42PM |
Solr Fields
accelerated_reader_point_value
0
accelerated_reader_reading_level
0
author
Glaser, Gabrielle
author_display
Glaser, Gabrielle
available_at_hm
Hamden Public Libraries
detailed_location_hm
Hamden/Miller Adult Nonfiction 3rd Floor
display_description
"The shocking truth about postwar adoption in America, told through the bittersweet story of one teenager, the son she was forced to relinquish, and their search to find each other-- As Baby Boomers became teenagers in 1960s America, women were encouraged to stay home and raise large families, but sex and childbirth were taboo subjects. Premarital sex was common, but birth control was hard to get and abortion was illegal. In 1961, sixteen-year-old Margaret Erle fell in love and became pregnant. Her enraged family sent her to a maternity home, and after she gave birth, she wasn't even allowed her to hold her own son. Social workers threatened her with jail until she signed away her parental rights. Her son vanished, his whereabouts and new identity known only to an adoption agency that would never share the slightest detail about his fate. Claiming to be acting in the best interests of all, the adoption business was founded on secrecy and lies. American Baby lays out how a lucrative and exploitative industry removed children from their birth mothers and placed them with hopeful families, fabricating stories about infants' origins and destinations, then closing the door firmly between the parties forever. Adoption agencies and other organizations that purported to help pregnant women struck unethical deals with doctors and researchers for pseudoscientific "assessments," and shamed millions of young women into surrendering their children. Gabrielle Glaser dramatically demonstrates the power of the expectations and institutions that Margaret faced. Margaret went on to marry and raise a large family with David's father, but she never stopped longing for and worrying about her firstborn. She didn't know he spent the first years of his life living just a few blocks away from her; as he grew, he wondered about where he came from and why he was given up. Their tale--one they share with millions of Americans--is one of loss, love, and the search for identity. Adoption's closed records are being legally challenged in states nationwide. Open adoption is the rule today, but the identities of many who were adopted or who surrendered a child in the postwar decades are locked in sealed files. American Baby illuminates a dark time in our history and shows a path to reunion that can help heal the wounds inflicted by years of shame and secrecy"--
format_category_hm
Books
format_hm
Book
id
e3b67af2-02fa-397b-7f7f-ffbd6c72c346
isbn
9780735224681
9780735224704
9780735224704
itype_hm
ADULT BOOK
last_indexed
2024-07-02T04:48:42.528Z
lexile_score
-1
literary_form
Non Fiction
literary_form_full
Non Fiction
local_callnumber_hm
362.734/GLA
owning_library_hm
Hamden Public Libraries
owning_location_hm
Hamden Public Libraries
primary_isbn
9780735224681
publishDate
2021
2022
2022
publisher
Penguin Books
Viking
Viking
recordtype
grouped_work
subject_facet
Adopted children -- United States
Adoption -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Adoption agencies -- Corrupt practices -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Birthparents -- Identification
Brithparents -- Identification
Katz, Margaret Erle
Rosenberg, David, -- 1961-2014
Teenage mothers -- United States -- Social conditions -- 20th century
Adoption -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Adoption agencies -- Corrupt practices -- United States -- History -- 20th century
Birthparents -- Identification
Brithparents -- Identification
Katz, Margaret Erle
Rosenberg, David, -- 1961-2014
Teenage mothers -- United States -- Social conditions -- 20th century
title_display
American baby : a mother, a child, and the shadow history of adoption
title_full
American baby : a mother, a child, and the shadow history of adoption / Gabrielle Glaser
title_short
American baby
title_sub
a mother, a child, and the shadow history of adoption
topic_facet
Adopted children
Adoption
Adoption agencies
Birthparents
Brithparents
Corrupt practices
History
Identification
Katz, Margaret Erle
Rosenberg, David
Social conditions
Teenage mothers
Adoption
Adoption agencies
Birthparents
Brithparents
Corrupt practices
History
Identification
Katz, Margaret Erle
Rosenberg, David
Social conditions
Teenage mothers
Solr Details Tables
item_details
Bib Id | Item Id | Shelf Location | Call Num | Format | Format Category | Num Copies | Is Order Item | Is eContent | eContent Source | eContent URL | Detailed Status | Last Checkin | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ils:.b26622506 | .i65168756 | Guilford Adult Non-Fiction | 362.73 GLASER | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | guan | |||||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65133468 | Orange/Case Adult Nonfiction Book | 362.734 Glaser | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | oran | |||||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65076977 | East Lyme Public Adult Non-Fiction | 362.734 Glaser | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | elan | |||||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65126361 | Wallingford Adult Nonfiction | 362.734 GLASER | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | waan | |||||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65118959 | North Branford/Smith Adult Nonfiction | 362.734 Glaser | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | ntan | |||||
ils:.b26622506 | .i64907843 | Norwich/Otis Adult Nonfiction | 362.734 GLA | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | nwan | |||||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65165469 | Hamden/Miller Adult Nonfiction 3rd Floor | 362.734/GLA | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | hmanb | |||||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65048076 | Branford/Blackstone Adult Nonfiction | 362.734 GLA | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | bran | |||||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65053849 | Meriden Adult Non-Fiction | 362.734 GL | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | mean | |||||
ils:.b26622506 | .i6507967x | Madison/Scranton Adult Nonfiction | 362.734 GLASER | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | maan | |||||
ils:.b26622506 | .i6542248x | Haddam/Brainerd Adult Nonfiction | 362.734 GLA | 1 | false | false | Storage | haan | |||||
ils:.b27328880 | .i68138751 | North Branford/Smith Adult Nonfiction | 362.734 Glaser | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | ntan | |||||
ils:.b27328880 | .i69322594 | Lyme Adult Nonfiction | 362.734092 GLA | 1 | false | false | On Shelf | lyan |
record_details
Bib Id | Format | Format Category | Edition | Language | Publisher | Publication Date | Physical Description | Abridged |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ils:.b26622506 | Book | Books | English | Viking | [2021] | 343 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 24 cm | ||
ils:.b27328880 | Book | Books | English | Penguin Books | 2022 | 342 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm |
scoping_details_hm
Bib Id | Item Id | Grouped Status | Status | Locally Owned | Available | Holdable | Bookable | In Library Use Only | Library Owned | Holdable PTypes | Bookable PTypes | Local Url |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ils:.b26622506 | .i65168756 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65133468 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65076977 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65126361 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65118959 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26622506 | .i64907843 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65165469 | On Shelf | On Shelf | true | true | true | false | false | true | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65048076 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26622506 | .i65053849 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26622506 | .i6507967x | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b26622506 | .i6542248x | Currently Unavailable | Storage | false | false | false | false | false | false | |||
ils:.b27328880 | .i68138751 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 | ||
ils:.b27328880 | .i69322594 | On Shelf | On Shelf | false | true | true | false | false | false | 9999 |