Recommendations based on The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe V. Wadeby Ann Fessler

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

    by Anne Lamott
    A witty and honest guide to writing and life, encouraging writers to embrace imperfection and find their own voice.

    A newer edition of this title can be found, here., "Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he'd had three months to ... (Goodreads)

  2. Escape

    by Carolyn Jessop
    Autobiography of a woman's struggle to escape an oppressive polygamous cult.

    The dramatic first-person account of life inside an ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect, and one woman’s courageous flight to freedom with her eight children. When she was eighteen years ... (Goodreads)

  3. My Lobotomy: A Memoir

    by Howard Dully
    A look into one man's experience of a lobotomy, and his journey of healing and redemption.

    At twelve, Howard Dully was guilty of the same crimes as other boys his age: he was moody and messy, rambunctious with his brothers, contrary just to prove a point, and perpetually at odds with his ... (Goodreads)

  4. You Don't Have to Say You Love Me

    by Sherman Alexie
    A memoir about the troubled relationship between a Spokane Indian father and his son.

    A searing, deeply moving memoir about family, love, loss, and forgiveness from the critically acclaimed, bestselling National Book Award-winning author of, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time ... (Barnes & Noble)

  5. NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children

    by Po Bronson
    A revealing look at the latest scientific research on child development, debunking common myths and offering new insights into how to raise successful children.

    In a world of modern, involved, caring parents, why are so many kids aggressive and cruel? Where is intelligence hidden in the brain, and why does that matter? Why do cross-racial friendships ... (Barnes & Noble)

  6. We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy

    by Ta-Nehisi Coates
    An exploration of the Obama years, and the racial injustices that still plague America.

    "We were eight years in power" was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. ... (Goodreads)

  7. We Should All Be Feminists

    by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    A call to action for an inclusive, gender-equal society through an examination of feminism.

    What does “feminism” mean today? That is the question at the heart of We Should All Be Feminists , a personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from her much-viewed TEDx talk of the same name—by ... (Goodreads)

  8. All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation

    by Rebecca Traister
    Examining the power and influence of unmarried women on modern society.

    In 2009, award-winning journalist Rebecca Traister started All the Single Ladies about the twenty-first century phenomenon of the American single woman. It was the year the proportion of American ... (Goodreads)

  9. American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst

    by Jeffrey Toobin
    A riveting account of the notorious Patty Hearst kidnapping and trial.

    On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, a sophomore in college and heiress to the Hearst Family fortune, was kidnapped by a ragtag group of self-styled revolutionaries calling itself the Symbonese ... (Goodreads)

  10. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures

    by Anne Fadiman
    Exploring the cultural divide between the Hmong people and the medical establishment.

    Lia Lee was born in 1982 to a family of recent Hmong immigrants, and soon developed symptoms of epilepsy. By 1988 she was living at home but was brain dead after a tragic cycle of misunderstanding, ... (Goodreads)

  11. Bright Lights, Big Ass

    by Jen Lancaster
    A humorous memoir of a woman's journey to find herself and make her own way in the world.

    A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why It Often Sucks in the City, or Who Are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? Jen Lancaster hates to burst your happy little ... (Goodreads)

  12. When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir

    by Patrisse Khan-Cullors
    A memoir of a Black Lives Matter co-founder, detailing her experiences with racism, police brutality, and the fight for justice.

    A poetic and powerful memoir about what it means to be a Black woman in America—and the co-founding of a movement that demands justice for all in the land of the free. Raised by a single mother in an ... (Goodreads)

  13. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

    by Alison Bechdel
    An autobiographical story of a daughter's complex relationship with her father and her own journey of self-discovery.

    The narrative of Fun Home is non-linear and recursive. , Incidents are told and re-told in the light of new information or themes. , Bechdel describes the structure of Fun Home as a labyrinth , ... (Wikipedia)

  14. Bitter Is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office

    by Jen Lancaster
    Humorous memoir of a woman's journey from financial stability to unemployment and back again.

    This is the story of how a haughty former sorority girl went from having a household income of almost a quarter-million dollars to being evicted from a ghetto apartment... It's a modern Greek ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking

    by Oliver Burkeman
    Exploring alternative paths to happiness, rejecting traditional approaches of positive thinking.

    Success through failure, calm through embracing anxiety—a totally original approach to self-help Self-help books don't seem to work. Few of the many advantages of modern life seem capable of lifting ... (Barnes & Noble)

  16. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

    by Atul Gawande
    An exploration of the human experience of mortality and the importance of end-of-life care.

    In, Being Mortal, author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending Medicine has triumphed in modern ... (Goodreads)

  17. Seabiscuit: An American Legend

    by Laura Hillenbrand
    An inspiring story of the rise of champion racehorse Seabiscuit and his unlikely jockey.

    There's an alternate cover edition, here, Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more ... (Goodreads)

  18. Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance

    by Atul Gawande
    A surgeon's exploration of medical excellence, uncovering the highest standards of care.

    The struggle to perform well is universal: each one of us faces fatigue, limited resources, and imperfect abilities in whatever we do. But nowhere is this drive to do better more important than in ... (Goodreads)

  19. What Happened

    by Hillary Rodham Clinton
    A candid look into the 2016 election, exploring the events leading up to her defeat.

    “In the past, for reasons I try to explain, I’ve often felt I had to be careful in public, like I was up on a wire without a net. Now I’m letting my guard down.” —Hillary Rodham Clinton, from the ... (Goodreads)

  20. Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery

    by Henry Marsh
    A neurosurgeon's gripping account of the life and death decisions made in the operating room.

    What is it like to be a brain surgeon? How does it feel to hold someone's life in your hands, to cut into the stuff that creates thought, feeling, and reason? How do you live with the consequences of ... (Goodreads)

  21. How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk

    by Adele Faber
    A guide for parents to communicate effectively with their children, using empathy and respect to build strong relationships.

    The ultimate “parenting bible” (,The Boston Globe,), a timeless, beloved book on how to effectively communicate with your child from the #1, New York Times, bestselling authors. Adele Faber and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  22. Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators

    by Ronan Farrow
    Investigative journalist Ronan Farrow exposes the cover-up of sexual misconduct allegations against powerful men in media and politics.

    In 2017, a routine network television investigation led Ronan Farrow to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood's most powerful producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a ... (Goodreads)

  23. The Nazi Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust

    by Edith Hahn Beer
    An incredible true story of a Jewish woman's courage and determination to survive the Holocaust.

    Edith Hahn was an outspoken young woman studying law in Vienna when the Gestapo forced Edith and her mother into a ghetto, issuing them papers branded with a "J." Soon, Edith was taken away to a ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence

    by Gavin de Becker
    Examining how fear can be used to protect oneself from violence, and how it is a valuable tool.

    True fear is a gift. Unwarranted fear is a curse. Learn how to tell the difference. A date won't take "no" for an answer. The new nanny gives a mother an uneasy feeling. A stranger in a deserted ... (Goodreads)

  25. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

    by J.D. Vance
    An exploration of the struggles of working-class Americans, and the power of family and culture to shape one's life.

    Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for ... (Goodreads)

  26. The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook

    by Bruce D. Perry
    Insightful case studies of children dealing with extreme trauma, and their resilience.

    In this instant classic of developmental psychology, a renowned psychiatrist examines the effect that trauma can have on a child, reveals how PTSD impacts the developing mind, and outlines the path ... (Barnes & Noble)

  27. Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman

    by Lindy West
    A humorous and honest memoir about growing up as a woman, challenging societal norms.

    Coming of age in a culture that demands women be as small, quiet, and compliant as possible–like a porcelain dove that will also have sex with you--writer and humorist Lindy West quickly discovered ... (Goodreads)

  28. Hamilton: The Revolution

    by Lin-Manuel Miranda
    A behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the groundbreaking musical "Hamilton", and its impact on American culture.

    A backstage pass to the groundbreaking, hit musical, Hamilton, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, including the award-winning libretto, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  29. The Complete Persepolis

    by Marjane Satrapi
    Autobiographical tale of a girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

    Here, in one volume: Marjane Satrapi's best-selling, internationally acclaimed graphic memoir. Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a large and loving ... (Goodreads)

  30. Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right

    by Jane Mayer
    Exposes the network of ultra-wealthy individuals who have funded the radical right-wing political agenda for the last four decades.

    Why is America living in an age of profound economic inequality? Why, despite the desperate need to address climate change, have even modest environmental efforts been defeated again and again? Why ... (Goodreads)