Virtually all literature about birth parents of adopted children has focused on mothers. In this pioneering study, Gary Clapton gives us a fresh perspective: he recounts the experiences of thirty birth fathers separated from their children at birth. Discussing different notions of fatherhood, such as biological paternity, social fatherhood, sperm donorship and the `father figure', this informative book - the first on birth fathers in adoption - brings new light to issues such as the decision to give up a child for adoption, the child's desire to find his or her birth parents, and the facilitation of contact in later life. Written in an accessible style with insights into adoption and social work practice past and present, Birth Fathers and their Adoption Experiences offers a vital new perspective on understanding the causes and consequences of adoption, and makes positive suggestions for working with those whom it affects.

Originally published in 1993, this classic piece of literature on adoption has revolutionised the way people think about adopted children. Nancy Verrier examines the life-long consequences of the 'primal wound' - the wound that is caused when a child is separated from its mother - for adopted people. Her argument is supported by thorough research in pre- and perinatal psychology, attachment, bonding and the effects of loss.

A literary scholar who is an adult adoptee delves into one of the enduring themes of literature--the child raised by other parents

Evelyn Robinson, OAM, has written four books about adoption separation and reunion. This is her first book. What becomes of women who are separated from their children by adoption? Why do so many adopted people feel such a strong desire to seek out their families of origin? In what ways are families with adopted children different from other families? This book by Evelyn Robinson provides the answers to these questions and many others.'Adoption and Loss - The Hidden Grief' was first published in 2000. A revised edition was published in 2003 and the 21st Century edition was published in 2018.

In My Adopted Life, author Lauren Lynne tells her adoption story from her perspective. She shares lessons, questions, and letters written by her and her birth family. Through these letters, Lauren learned answers to the questions that had been with her a long time: how her birth parents met, what her birth mothers pregnancy was like, how she made decisions regarding the adoption, and what she had to sacrifice to ensure that Lauren would be placed with the best family possible. Knowing this information helped Lauren to better understand herself and to know that her adopted family is her true family and that love determines all things. In this personal narrative, a young woman shares the story of her life, exploring the details of her adoption and getting to know her birth parents.

A pioneering work, this text on one level is a father's personal story of the parallel searches for himself and his son. It is also a comprehensive account of the repercussions of an adoption for all members of the separated family, but in particular the father.

The astonishing untold history of the million and a half women who surrendered children for adoption due to enormous family and social pressure in the decades before Roe v. Wade. “It would take a heart of stone not to be moved by the oral histories of these women and by the courage and candor with which they express themselves.” —The Washington Post “A remarkably well-researched and accomplished book.” —The New York Times Book Review “A wrenching, riveting book.” —Chicago Tribune In this deeply moving and myth-shattering work, Ann Fessler brings out into the open for the first time the hidden social history of adoption before Roe v. Wade - and its lasting legacy. An adoptee who was herself surrendered during those years and recently made contact with her mother, Ann Fessler brilliantly brings to life the voices of more than a hundred women, as well as the spirit of those times, allowing the women to tell their stories in gripping and intimate detail.