Girls Who Went Away by Ann Fessler (2007-07-17)
by Ann Fessler
'Girls Who Went Away' by Ann Fessler presents oral histories of women who surrendered their babies for adoption in the pre-Roe v. Wade era. It exposes the secrecy, coercion, and lasting trauma inflicted by societal expectations on unmarried mothers, offering a poignant look at a silenced generation's struggles.
About This Book
Published in 2007, 'Girls Who Went Away' by Ann Fessler draws on extensive oral histories to explore a overlooked chapter of American social history.
The book focuses on the experiences of unmarried women who were sent to maternity homes and gave up their children for adoption during the mid-20th century.
Fessler, an artist and writer, brings to light the emotional and societal pressures these women endured in a time of strict moral codes.
This work contributes to understanding reproductive rights and the personal impacts of restrictive policies before legal changes in the 1970s.
Through firsthand accounts, it humanizes the statistics and challenges the narratives surrounding adoption and family in postwar America.
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