This bibliography
began as an effort on my part in the late 1980s to assemble a reading list
for myself (or anyone else interested in reading on the subject of adoption).
I began by extracting titles from the Books in Print “Subject”
catalogue. At the time, since I was living in New York City, I also tried
to find other categorized references in the New York Public Library which
might reflect a subheading of “Adoption.” This methodology persisted
throughout the greater part of the first ten years of the bibliography’s
existence. As soon as I was able to, I also started reviewing the databases
available through the online booksellers, such as Amazon.com and
Barnesandnoble.com, among others. In 1999, I decided to cease publishing
the bibliography in hard copy and concentrated all of my efforts on developing
this website. This change also enabled me to substantially increase the amount
of information I could include for each title, including the addition of
cover illustrations and author’s photographs (where available). Thus,
the data contained herein comes from many different sources, including, but
not necessarily limited to the online catalogues of Amazon.com,
Barnesandnoble.com, and Tapestrybooks.com. I also review the holdings of
the Library of Congress, as reflected in their online database at
http://catalog.loc.gov, from the year 1901 forward. Finally, I also review
the books available for sale through the online databases of second-hand
booksellers (See, “Where to Look for
an Out-of-Print Book”).
With regard to the specific content of this bibliography,
my goal is to assemble a list of books which reflects all of the books ever
published which address the subject of adoption, either in whole or in part.
However, because the modern institution of adoption is essentially an invention
which has gained widespread currency only within the last half of the 20th
century, the bulk of the data in the bibliography encompass that time period.
You will find some books which pre-date World War II in this list, but not
a great many. This is because the “popular press” didn’t really
start publishing books on adoption aimed at the general populace until after
World War II; the numbers of books on the subject published each year steadily
increases from that time to date. Some books published in prior centuries
might well be said to merit inclusion in this list, and I am trying,
retroactively, to include such titles (the works of Dickens, e.g., are often
particularly relevant, given their focus on the plights of poor children
in 19th Century England), but my principal focus is on modern research and
literature, because these are more reflective of the institution of adoption
as it exists today. I am also principally focused on limiting the bibliography
to English-language books published by the “popular press,” as
opposed to materials published by governmental bodies or agencies (of which
there is also a significant number).
I have also, of necessity, segregated the data into
categories, in order to make it easier for visitors to locate books of particular
interest. The categories are, also of necessity, arbitrary, as is the
inclusion of a particular title in any particular category. Many books will
naturally belong in more than one category. If you cannot find a given title
in a category where you think it most appropriately belongs, it may be because
I have categorized it differently. (If necessary, please write me and I will
advise whether the title is included, and if so, where it can be found within
the list.)
In the end, despite the comprehensiveness of my research,
some relevant titles may escape inclusion. Therefore, I encourage visitors
to this site to advise me of any titles of which they are aware which, for
whatever reason, haven’t been included. I would also be grateful for
any additional information visitors may be able to provide regarding included
titles which may lack a comprehensive listing (i.e., title, author, year
of publication of the first edition, no. of pages in the first edition, publisher
of the first edition, and a description of the book’s content, particularly
as it relates to the subject of adoption), or which may be mis-categorized
(I am always finding mis-categorized titles!). Also, since it is my desire
that any given title only be listed once, I would appreciate being advised
of any duplicate listings within the bibliography.
Thank you!
— William L. Gage