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Winner
Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption in America
National Book · 2024 · Shortlist
Award History
| Award | Year | Status | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction | 2024 | Shortlist |
About This Book
Sociologist Gretchen Sisson conducted extensive research with birth mothers who relinquished children for adoption in America, arguing that adoption is driven far more by poverty and lack of support than by genuine choice. Shortlisted for the NBCC Award.
About the Author
Gretchen SissonAmerican
Gretchen Sisson is an American sociologist specializing in reproductive health, abortion, and adoption, native to Pennsylvania and a 2006 graduate of Amherst College with a PhD from Boston College. She is the author of the acclaimed book Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood (2024), which won the William J. Goode Book Award in 2025 and the Adele Clarke Book Award in 2026, based on extensive interviews with birth mothers.gretchensisson.com, Amherst College, ASA Awards, Instagram
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