Strangers and Kin: The American Way of Adoption
Barbara Melosh. Harvard University Press, $29.95 (336pp) ISBN 978-0-674-00912-7
Adoption is a quintessentially American institution, says George Mason University English and history professor Barbara Melosh, in that it embodies optimism, generosity of spirit and confidence in ""social engineering."" In Strangers and Kin: The American Way of Adoption, Melosh offers a history of adoption from the early 20th century to today. Drawing on records of adoptions and individual stories, she presents thoughtful comments on current debates surrounding adoption, including transracial adoption and the ethics of international adoption. Adoption calls people ""to hope and trust anew in the only authentic kinship we know: bonds forged in love and sustained by will and commitment.""
Details
Reviewed on: 11/11/2002
Genre: Nonfiction
Open Ebook - 336 pages - 978-0-674-04091-5
Paperback - 336 pages - 978-0-674-01953-9