STOLEN

STOLEN
By Erika Klein

Stolen is a non-fiction memoir about child welfare and adoption in Ontario. Its perspective comes from 3 generations of adoptions all handled from the same child welfare agency beginning in 1959. The book is a first hand account of a young single mother trying desperately to raise her family amidst poverty, systemic injustice and rape. Based on real life events, Stolen was initially conceived as the only way to keep the origins and truth of the children’s history alive.

It is a thought provoking and evoking personal narrative of the family court and child welfare system, which traditionally is kept behind closed doors. The book contains actual transcripts, journals and follows the experiences of a mother losing her child tragically to adoption. Stolen also focuses on social justice issues such as discrimination and inequality, and the intricate inner workings of our social system. This piece is emotional yet political, and speaks to the thousands of natural parents experiences with adoption.

Adoption has historically been a closed subject, and there has never been a real dialogue from the natural’s parents and family’s perspective in Canada to date. This book was written in an effort to preserve the truth of a family yet it also serves as a voice for many others who are affected. Adoptees grow up being told various explanations for their relinquishment. Many spend years trying to reunite. Almost everyone knows someone who is touched by adoption yet there are still so many myths and secrets surrounding it all.

Stolen tells the untold, the other side of the story, the silent voice behind every adoption. This is a true story of one woman’s experience with motherhood. These are the spoken words from a mother to her daughter. A memoir that is written not only for one family, but for anyone who wonders why a mother would surrender her own child.
Visit Erika's site and buy her book at ErikaKlein.ca