“As the members of the adoption triad tell their stories, certain motifs appear that organize each person’s experience of adoptive kinship and at the same time offer a profound critique of American adoption policies. “Surrender” is the dominant motif for birthparents, while “love at first sight’ captures an adoptive parent’s sense of parenthood. For the adoptee, “telling” is central–the moment when one learns one is not “like everyone else.” Modell’s book not only presents the personal side of an increasingly urgent and public debate but also demonstrates the persistence of these debates.”