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The Resource American baby : a mother, a child, and the shadow history of adoption, Gabrielle Glaser, (electronic resource)

American baby : a mother, a child, and the shadow history of adoption, Gabrielle Glaser, (electronic resource)

Creator
Author
Summary
"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"--
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
1 online resource
Note
Place of publication taken from publisher's website
Contents
  • Family matters
  • Teenagers in love
  • "We're going to have to take care of this"
  • Girls in trouble
  • "Children of your own one day"
  • "You don't get to hold your baby"
  • "This never happened"
  • Blue-ribbon babies
  • "Better" families
  • The right future
  • Childless mother
  • Breathing exercises
  • Agency
  • "You are a man"
  • Going west
  • Deferred love
  • No more secrets
Isbn
9780735224698
Link
Instance
Label
American baby : a mother, a child, and the shadow history of adoption
Title
American baby
Title remainder
a mother, a child, and the shadow history of adoption
Statement of responsibility
Gabrielle Glaser
Creator
Author
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
"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"--
Assigning source
Provided by publisher
Biography type
contains biographical information
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Glaser, Gabrielle
Dewey number
  • 362.734092
  • B
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
LC call number
HV875.55
LC item number
.G59 2021
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
  • dictionaries
  • bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Rosenberg, David
  • Katz, Margaret Erle
  • Adopted children
  • Adoption
  • Adoption agencies
  • Teenage mothers
  • Birthparents
  • FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Adoption & Fostering
Label
American baby : a mother, a child, and the shadow history of adoption, Gabrielle Glaser, (electronic resource)
Link
Instantiates
Publication
Note
Place of publication taken from publisher's website
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Family matters -- Teenagers in love -- "We're going to have to take care of this" -- Girls in trouble -- "Children of your own one day" -- "You don't get to hold your baby" -- "This never happened" -- Blue-ribbon babies -- "Better" families -- The right future -- Childless mother -- Breathing exercises -- Agency -- "You are a man" -- Going west -- Deferred love -- No more secrets
Extent
1 online resource
Form of item
online
Isbn
9780735224698
Lccn
2020005339
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
Other physical details
illustrations
http://library.link/vocab/ext/overdrive/overdriveId
4a09fd08-c76a-4354-9fd9-b6ed93544835
Publisher number
EB00780845
Specific material designation
remote
System control number
(OCoLC)1151532637
Label
American baby : a mother, a child, and the shadow history of adoption, Gabrielle Glaser, (electronic resource)
Link
Publication
Note
Place of publication taken from publisher's website
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
online resource
Carrier category code
  • cr
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Family matters -- Teenagers in love -- "We're going to have to take care of this" -- Girls in trouble -- "Children of your own one day" -- "You don't get to hold your baby" -- "This never happened" -- Blue-ribbon babies -- "Better" families -- The right future -- Childless mother -- Breathing exercises -- Agency -- "You are a man" -- Going west -- Deferred love -- No more secrets
Extent
1 online resource
Form of item
online
Isbn
9780735224698
Lccn
2020005339
Media category
computer
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • c
Other physical details
illustrations
http://library.link/vocab/ext/overdrive/overdriveId
4a09fd08-c76a-4354-9fd9-b6ed93544835
Publisher number
EB00780845
Specific material designation
remote
System control number
(OCoLC)1151532637

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