Gretchen's List: RELINQUISHED Book Edition
Dear Friends,
I’m so excited to share that my new book, Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood is out tomorrow! It is available wherever you buy books (which I hope is a local independent bookstore, but today I won’t judge if it’s not).
[I wasn’t going to send this email and then my publicity team said “Um, absolutely; you need to do that,” and I said, “My newsletter is about politics, not my book!” and they said, “Make an exception one time,” so here we are. Your political news to justify the existence of this missive is that former Governor Larry Hogan entered the Maryland Senate race so now we have to spend money there, and you can see what I wrote earlier this month about that race here.]
The good news is that my best friends think the book is fantastic, but the better news is that they are not the only ones. From Publishers Weekly:
“Sociologist Sisson’s comprehensive and harrowing debut draws on a decade of interviews and archival research to argue that America’s current discourse around adoption belies its insidious history of targeting vulnerable mothers and children.... Throughout, Sisson foregrounds the stories of mothers who gave up their children for adoption, juxtaposing their personal monologues with sociological and historical research that highlights broader patterns in their testimonies. The result is a devastating and urgent condemnation of America’s adoption industry."
And Booklist:
“These fascinating and often heartrending accounts are both varied and echoing, resoundingly so. Relinquishing mothers come to their decision from both a dearth of options and an abundance of love—with some subjects, out of their trauma, offering well-reasoned improvements to the system... It is a crucial piece in understanding reproductive justice and the unequal ways we create and care for families in this country.”
This book reflects research that I began in 2010 as a graduate student in Boston; I have held the stories of these relinquishing mothers close to my heart for a long time. I feel deeply both the obligation and privilege of helping to bring their voices to a new audience.
I hope you will consider buying a copy or requesting it from your library, and — if you want to do more — posting about it on social media, attending a book event (details below), leaving a review on Goodreads, StoryGraph, Amazon, etc., or sharing it with someone else who is committed to reproductive justice. These small points of outreach mean a huge amount to a book’s overall success, and I am grateful for each and every one.
With thanks,
Gretchen
RELINQUISHED in the Media
If you want to learn more about the book, give a click/like/share to any of the below. Although, if you read or listen to more than one, you’re accepting the risk of hearing me repeat myself.
UCSF’s Gretchen Sisson Spotlights Experiences of Birth Mothers in ‘Relinquished’ from KQED Forum
The American Adoption System Isn’t What You Think It Is in Mother Jones
Why Is the History of Adoption So Complicated? excerpt in DAME Magazine
City Arts & Lectures interview with Lara Bazelon
The Other A-Word: Adoption on The A-Files Podcast
RELINQUISHED Book Tour
Please join me! It would mean so much to me to have thoughtful, politically-engaged audiences at these events across the country. I hope to see you there, and I hope you’ll spread the word.
SAN FRANCISCO: Tuesday, February 27 at 6pm PT at Manny's, with author Susan Kiyo Ito. Register here.
BOSTON: Wednesday, February 28 at 7pm ET at Brookline Booksmith, with author and journalist Rebecca Traister. Details here.
AMHERST: Thursday, February 29 at 4:30pm ET at Amherst College, with Professors Jallicia Jolly and Khary Polk. Details here.
WASHINGTON, DC: Sunday, March 3 at 3pm ET at Politics and Prose (Conn Avenue), with author Nicole Chung. Details here.
PHILADELPHIA: Tuesday, March 5 at 7pm ET at Art Alliance (hosted by Harriett's Bookshop), with journalist Errin Haines. Register here.
MANHATTAN, NYC: Thursday, March 7 at 6:30pm ET the Tenement Museum, with novelist Christina Baker Kline. Register here for in-person attendance (followed by a reception); and here for virtual streaming.
VIRTUAL with ADOPTEES UNITED: Tuesday, March 12 at 4pm PT. Register here.
VIRTUAL with FIRST FAMILIES SUPPORT: Thursday, March 14 at 3pm PT. Register here.
LOS ANGELES: Thursday, March 14 at 6:30pm PT at Ms. Magazine, with executive director Kathy Spillar. Register here.
BROOKLYN, NYC: Saturday, March 16 at 10:30pm at Brooklyn Public Library (part of Night in the Library, from 7pm to 2am ET). Register here.
SEATTLE: Tuesday, March 26 at 6pm PT at University Book Store, with author Angela Tucker. Register here.
VIRTUAL with ON YOUR FEET FOUNDATION: Wednesday, March 27 at 9am PT. Register here.
PORTLAND: Wednesday, March 27 at 7pm PT at Powell’s City of Books, with author Andi Zeisler. Details here.
AUSTIN: Tuesday, April 9 at 7pm CT at BookPeople, with journalist Emily Ramshaw. Register here.
Donor, sociologist, researcher. Board member at Emerge America, steering committee member at Electing Women Bay Area, and cofounder of the Abortion Bridge Collaborative Fund (part of the Women Donors Network) -- but all content here is mine alone and not on behalf of any organization. My goals are to help others find their networks and feel more comfortable and informed participating in the political giving space.