American Baby: A Mother, A Child, and the Shadow History of Adoption

The story behind the adoption industry in 1960s America

This book tells the story of one family’s experience with adoption in the 1960s. When 16-year-old Margaret Erle becomes pregnant, her parents send her to a maternity home, where she gives birth to a healthy baby boy. After months of pressure, Margaret signs away her parental rights and her baby is lost to her. Fast forward nearly 50 years, and Margaret’s son Stephen, now known as David, seeks author Gabrielle Glaser’s help in locating his birth mother. Glaser interweaves Margaret and Stephen’s story with an examination of the adoption system in the US in the 50s and 60s, when millions of young women were coerced to give up their children.   At times touching, at times infuriating, this book may challenge your preconceived notions about teen pregnancy and adoption.