In 1973 Marie and Rod Adams, brimming with idealism and keenly aware of the plight of disadvantaged aboriginal children, adopted Tim, a young Cree boy, two and one half years old. Tim began displaying severe behavioural problems almost immediately, problems that, despite their efforts to find help, only became worse over the years. He left home at the age of twelve and died on the streets when he was twenty-one. Devastated by their loss, the Adams began to search for answers as to why things had gone so horribly wrong. In Our Son, a Stranger Marie Adams describes five white couples whose adoptions of native children failed to meet their expectations. Using her own experiences as background, she casts a critical eye on the "Sixties Scoop" when governments actively encouraged the adoption of native children by non-native parents - an estimated 95 per cent of such adoptions failed - and discusses why the special issues raised by all trans-racial adoptions need to be carefully considered.

Centennial College, Toronto

Marie Adams' profile page

"A moving documentation with the personal accounts of the shattered dreams, regrets, grief and anger that result when an adoption placement breaks down. I applaud the author for the courage and skill with which she has approached this very emotional and personal issue. It is well-researched and documented and could be of great value to the adoption community at large." Elaine Rutherford, retired social worker ---- "A very readable and compelling book that fills an important gap in our understanding of adoptive family relations. Its strength lies in the author's presentation of her personal experiences within a theoretical and research context which is both compelling and authoritative." Carol Cumming Speirs, School of Social Work, McGill University