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.""

Featured Nonfiction Reviews

Carl Elliott

Medical research whistleblowers expose unethical studies for their own peace of mind, though doing so often leaves them feeling isolated and betrayed, according to this riveting Continue reading »

Melissa B Jacoby

“The federal Bankruptcy Code intersects with the lives of more people in the United States than virtually any other law does,” asserts UNC law professor Jacoby in her startling Continue reading »

Laura Marris

Marris, a creative writing professor at the University of Buffalo, debuts with a shattering collection that meditates on the sense of loss and isolation caused by humanity’s Continue reading »

Hugh Warwick

In this nuanced report, ecologist Warwick (Linescapes) probes the thorny moral quandaries surrounding attempts to contain animal populations through slaughter. Highlighting the Continue reading »