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Explore the History of Postwar Adoption in the US with Journalist, Author Gabrielle Glaser
About Blog Post
Oct 21, 2021
by Pressroom
Please note this program has been rescheduled from November 17 to November 30. Discover the history of postwar adoption in the United States with bestselling author and journalist Gabrielle Glaser and the Somerset County Library System of New Jersey (SCLSNJ) through a virtual program on November 30, from 7-8 p.m.
In Glaser’s sophomore release “American Baby: A Mother, a Child, and the Shadow History of Adoption,” the writer chronicles the controversial adoption process of the 1960s, including the story of unmarried mother Margaret Erle and her son, David. Erle, a New Jersey resident, will join Glaser during the program to share her firsthand account of the experience.
“The book tells the dual narrative of what happened in their lives,” said Glaser. “What her experience was like as a teenager giving birth alone and in shame and in secret, on a cold winter day in 1961 and not being able to hold her baby, not being able to know what his fate was for a half century. And, what his experiences were, growing up with a family he loved and who he loved deeply, but never knowing his origin story or original identity.”
Glaser continued, “Their [stories] are stand-ins for the nearly 4 million women who were coerced into surrendering their sons and daughters."
“In ‘American Baby: A Mother, a Child, and the Shadow History of Adoption’ we explore the story of a teenage girl who was sent to a maternity home by her mother, upon the discovery of her pregnancy,” said Fiona Kennedy, system program coordinator, adult services. “She was coerced into signing adoption papers, or risk being sent to juvenile prison. Erle never forgot her son, and eventually reunited with him, but her journey to find him would take over 50 years and a lot of heartache.”
Libraries played an integral role in the fruition of the book. Glaser explored multiple library and archival resources available throughout the country from Manhattan to Kansas City to Corvallis, Oregon. Because of these institutions, the writer was able to utilize the interloan library system, conduct research through online resources, and form connections with librarians and archivists throughout the U.S.
“Libraries are magic to me,” said Glaser. “I would be absolutely up a creek without libraries and librarians and the resources - not just of local libraries - but of archivists across the country, who helped me tell this story. [Without them] ‘American Baby’ wouldn't exist. I love it when I hear from folks who are at libraries and people who read the book from the library because libraries are a public resource that we need to support and encourage.”
Glaser continued, “They are so central to every community. They're not just a repository for books, they’re also home to so much information. There's online resources, studies that your reference librarians can help you access, and so much more. You don't even have to be a professor to be able to find medical research; there's just no end to the amount of information you can educate yourself with.”
The author’s debut novel, “Her Best-Kept Secret: Why Women Drink – and How They Can Regain Control,” is also available in the Library’s collection.
For more information or to register for the virtual program: sclsnj.libnet.info/event/4952537.