Surrendered Child is Karen Salyer McElmurray's raw, poignant account of her journey from her teen years, when she put her newborn child up for adoption, to adulthood and a desperate search for the son she never knew. In a patchwork narrative interwoven with dark memories from her childhood, McElmurray deftly treads where few dare—into a gritty, honest exploration of the loss a birth mother experiences.
The year was 1973, a time of social upheaval, even in small-town Kentucky, where McElmurray grew up. More than a story of time and place, however, this is about a girl who, at the age of sixteen, relinquished her son at birth. Twenty-five years would pass before McElmurray began sharing this part of her past with others and actively looking for her son.
McElmurray's own troubled upbringing and her quest after a now-fully-grown son are the heart of her story. With unflinching honesty, McElmurray recounts both the painful surrendering and the surprise rediscovery of her son, juxtaposed with her portrayal of her own mother, who could not provide the love she needed. The dramatic result is a story of birthright lost and found—and an exploration of the meaning of motherhood itself.
KAREN SALYER MCELMURRAY is an assistant professor in the creative writing program at Georgia College and State University. She has received dozens of honors, including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, the Sherwood Anderson Award, and the James Purdy Prize for Fiction. She has published essays and stories in numerous magazines and journals.
What People are Saying About This
Reeve Lindburgh
"In this fresh, painfully honest, but very wise and beautifully written book, Karen McElmurray tells us how deeply some decisions affect us, ever afterwards."
Lee Smith
"Riveting and disturbing, McElmurray's poetic language and utter honesty lift this story into the realm of grace-finally, this dark memoir is an enlightening and redemptive work of art."
Silas House
"Karen McElmurray presents her story with poetic clarity, stark honesty, and-above all-a resounding grace. I can't imagine a better memoir being published this year. It is heartbreaking not only because of its subject matter, but also because of its beauty." —author of Clay's Quilt and The Cool of the Day
Jeanne Braselton
"With astonishing candor and courage, McElmurray parts the curtains of a birth mother's often secret struggles with pain, guilt, and unending loss, and, with the vision of a poet, leads us on an unforgettable journey of awakening, forgiveness, and love. This powerful memoir is a work of stunningly intimate confession transformed into lyrical brilliance, and, perhaps more importantly, gives her son-and, in turn, all adoptees-a redemptive look at a birthright lost and found." —author of A False Sense of Well-Being
Chris Offutt
"In a lyric and precise language, Karen McElmurray tells her story with unflinching honesty, insight, and compassion. She reveals not only her own past, but the darker side of youth in the 1970s. This book will be read by generations to come."
—author of The Same River Twice
