Shadow Mothers:Stories of Adoption
and Reunion by Linda
Back McKay
Poignant, masterful
chronicle of tragedy, relief, acceptance,
December 10, 1998
Reviewer:
An Amazon.com Customer
In our era of open adoption and praise
for single mothers who give up their
babies to secure better lives for them,
it is easy to forget a not-so-long-ago
era when birth mothers were bridled with
shame and expected to forever stifle the
anguish of their losses. In Shadow
Mothers: Stories of Adoption and Reunions
(1998, North Star Press), Linda Back
McKay tells her life story and those of
nine other birth mothers who survived the
pain, uncertainty, and secrecy of
relinquishment to reunite with their
children years after giving them up.
Shadow Mothers is a poignant, masterful
chronicle of tragedy, relief, joy, and
acceptance and a probing look into the
realities of adoption.
11 of 11
people found the following review
helpful:
A must-read for
birthmothers, adoptees and adoptive
parents!, November 24, 1998
Reviewer:
Dee Farrell
(lateral@ecentral.com) from
Denver, Colorado
I'm happy to be the first to review
this book, because I found the author
online when researching the adoption
theme at the time she conceived the idea
for Shadow Mothers - and followed her
trials and tribulations throughout the
process via email.
I bought the book for my birthmom -
but read every chapter before
relinquishing the tattered cover. I cried
my self to sleep each night after reading
the stories written by the Shadow Mothers
- and found myself lingering for days
over their joys and sorrows. And it made
me think about my own birthparents, and
our separate reunions and relationships,
in a fuller light. Buy this book and give
it to everyone you know who's been
affected by relinquishment and adoption,
and especially those who could benefit
from reading about successful reunions of
Shadow Mothers and their children.
adoption
.
Poignant, masterful
chronicle of tragedy, relief, acceptance,
December 10, 1998 
A must-read for
birthmothers, adoptees and adoptive
parents!, November 24, 1998