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The Broken Cord
"As passionate as it is fierce. Intensely personal and moving beyond belief, The Broken Cord . . . . is a book so powerful it will not only break your heart; it will restore your faith." — Alice Hoffman The controversial national bestseller that received unprecedented media attention, sparked the nation's interest in the plight of children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and touched a nerve in all of us. Winner of the 1989 National Book Critics Circle Award. When Michael Dorris, 26, single and working on his doctorate, applied to adopt child, his request was speedily granted. He knew that his new three-year-old son, Adam, was badly developmentally disabled; but he believed in the power of nurture and love. This is the heartrending story, full of compassion and rage, of how his son grew up with challenges stemming from fetal alcohol syndrome, and the sheer willpower and love it took to meet them. The volume includes a short account of his own life by the 20-year-old Adam, and a foreword by Dorris' wife, the writer Louise Erdrich. The Broken Cord won a National Book Critics Circle Award in 1989.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
33 people are currently reading
1222 people want to read
About the author
Michael Dorris
38 books88 followersMichael Dorris was a novelist, short story writer, nonfiction writer, and author of books for children
The first member of his family to attend college, Dorris graduated from Georgetown with honors in English and received his graduate degree in anthropology from Yale. Dorris worked as a professor of English and anthropology at Dartmouth College.
Dorris was part-Native American through the lineage of his paternal. He founded the Native American Studies department at Dartmouth in 1972 and chaired it until 1985.
In 1971, Dorris became the first unmarried man in the United States to adopt a child. His adopted son, Reynold Abel, was diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome and his condition became the subject of Dorris' The Broken Cord,(the pseudonym "Adam" is used for his son in the book).
In 1981, Dorris married aspiring writer Louise Erdrich. Throughout their relationship, Erdrich and Dorris edited and contributed to each other's writing.
In 1991, Dorris' adopted son, Reynold Abel, died after being hit by a car. In 1996, Louise Erdrich separated from Dorris. On April 10, 1997, Dorris committed suicide in Concord, New Hampshire.
The first member of his family to attend college, Dorris graduated from Georgetown with honors in English and received his graduate degree in anthropology from Yale. Dorris worked as a professor of English and anthropology at Dartmouth College.
Dorris was part-Native American through the lineage of his paternal. He founded the Native American Studies department at Dartmouth in 1972 and chaired it until 1985.
In 1971, Dorris became the first unmarried man in the United States to adopt a child. His adopted son, Reynold Abel, was diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome and his condition became the subject of Dorris' The Broken Cord,(the pseudonym "Adam" is used for his son in the book).
In 1981, Dorris married aspiring writer Louise Erdrich. Throughout their relationship, Erdrich and Dorris edited and contributed to each other's writing.
In 1991, Dorris' adopted son, Reynold Abel, died after being hit by a car. In 1996, Louise Erdrich separated from Dorris. On April 10, 1997, Dorris committed suicide in Concord, New Hampshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
April 21, 2012
It would be a shame if the circumstances surrounding the author's death cast a shadow over this fine book, because it is beautifully written, deeply felt, and a devastating account of the impact of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) among Native Americans.
Michael Dorris, a young unmarried college teacher and writer, adopts a Native American boy "Adam" whose developmental problems, he believes, are the result of poor nutrition, poor health care, and lack of proper parenting. In time, however, he discovers that Adam was born with FAS, a condition Dorris knows very little about. Believing that proper care can reverse the effects of FAS, he takes on the daunting and nearly futile task of helping Adam achieve a "normal" boyhood. The damage done, it turns out, is irreversible; Adam is almost maddeningly unable to learn simple tasks and responsibilities. FAS-related health problems, including seizures, often turn merely difficult days and nights into nightmares for the single father.
The book Dorris writes is meant as an eye-opener for readers who are unaware of the potential harm in consuming alcohol during pregnancy. Given naturally to research and study, he shares with the reader much of what he learns about FAS and the Native American culture that has had such a fatal connection with alcohol. To that extent, this is almost a textbook on the subject.
But this is also the story of a father and son, and most poignant, for this reader, is the relationship between them that is a thread throughout the book. Dorris never surrenders to the barriers that exist between him and his son. Having taken responsibility for Adam, he gives his all to making even the smallest difference in the boy's life. It's a heroic effort and often heartbreaking.
Michael Dorris, a young unmarried college teacher and writer, adopts a Native American boy "Adam" whose developmental problems, he believes, are the result of poor nutrition, poor health care, and lack of proper parenting. In time, however, he discovers that Adam was born with FAS, a condition Dorris knows very little about. Believing that proper care can reverse the effects of FAS, he takes on the daunting and nearly futile task of helping Adam achieve a "normal" boyhood. The damage done, it turns out, is irreversible; Adam is almost maddeningly unable to learn simple tasks and responsibilities. FAS-related health problems, including seizures, often turn merely difficult days and nights into nightmares for the single father.
The book Dorris writes is meant as an eye-opener for readers who are unaware of the potential harm in consuming alcohol during pregnancy. Given naturally to research and study, he shares with the reader much of what he learns about FAS and the Native American culture that has had such a fatal connection with alcohol. To that extent, this is almost a textbook on the subject.
But this is also the story of a father and son, and most poignant, for this reader, is the relationship between them that is a thread throughout the book. Dorris never surrenders to the barriers that exist between him and his son. Having taken responsibility for Adam, he gives his all to making even the smallest difference in the boy's life. It's a heroic effort and often heartbreaking.
May 8, 2010
As a adoptive mom of a child with FAE, this was a must read. And thanks to parents like Michael did not have to wait years and years to find out that my little guy is effeted by this. My little guy has struggled his entire life with the effects of this. He angers quickly, can not always relate to others and how they might feel...Also takes alot personally as if you had done it to him. Even if he is outside a situation. Has had a very hard time catching up weight and size wise. He was failure thrive when I adopted him at the age of 3 and half. He only weight 16lbs. Michael's struggle to find out what was wrong with Adam was a long and I am sure exspensive road. My child will have an advisor as an adult just to make sure he pays his bill and buys groceries. My son is 10 and he forgets to drink and eat until pain or illness occurs. I think if you are interested in a Memoir and alot of facts about FAE or FAS..you will love this book. It is a bit tough to read at points. It took me a while to read it because of all the facts. I am very interested in reading some of Michael's other books.
July 12, 2008
Nearly 20 years after its publication and a decade since "Adam's" death and Dorris's scandalous suicide, The Broken Cord left me feeling nostalgic for that (innocent?) time when people were first learning about the emergent national crisis of FAS and when the Erdrich/Dorris household was a supportive nest of endless hope. Today, it is still a beautiful story full of love and the wonders of fatherhood, but it does leave the distinct taste of betrayal. Divorce? Child abuse? And he's not really American Indian?
Still, I couldn't help but notice that "Adam" writes at 20 years old much like many of my 10th grade students. It would surprise me not at all to learn that some of them were born to mothers who drank or used drugs during pregnancy. The emphasis in their writing on the chronological order of things ("Then I did this.., Then I did this...") could be a symptom of FAE: their not being able to think in the abstract. This book opened my eyes to possible causes behind literacy obstacles and learning disabilities in my own classroom in the South Bronx.
Still, I couldn't help but notice that "Adam" writes at 20 years old much like many of my 10th grade students. It would surprise me not at all to learn that some of them were born to mothers who drank or used drugs during pregnancy. The emphasis in their writing on the chronological order of things ("Then I did this.., Then I did this...") could be a symptom of FAE: their not being able to think in the abstract. This book opened my eyes to possible causes behind literacy obstacles and learning disabilities in my own classroom in the South Bronx.
May 15, 2009
He spends the whole book proudly one-upping his own stupidity. Terrible. Simply terrible.
November 14, 2025
im half way through and he hasnt once mentioned the sexual abuse native women endure. hes literally saying the these women are having babies to get checks. if many of them are afflicted by fas i dont get how hes also holding them morally accountable. women in this book are treated as problem manufacturers/breeders and the misogyny is disgusting.
March 14, 2017
This is an emotionally wrenching book that left me with mountains for respect for the author, Michael Dorris, and his wife, Louise Erdrich, whose books I've enjoyed.
As a single teacher in an experimental college, in his mid-20s, Michael, who has Indian (the term he prefers to Native American) ancestry, decided he wanted to be a father. After a lot of difficulty, he adopted Adam, an Indian boy. He was warned that Adam had some difficulties, but Michael attributed them to his history of abuse and being raised to age 3 in foster homes. Slowly, after much denial, Michael had to agree that Adam was somehow damaged. It turned out to be fetal alcohol syndrome (FSA). Michael started researching for a cure. Meanwhile, he adopted another Indian boy, and then a girl, both normal children. Then he met Louise, and each of them recalled later knowing from their first date being sure he/she had met her future spouse. A couple of years later, the five members of the family married each other. The following year, Louise adopted the three children.
Much of the book involves Michael's description of his search for answers about FSA, during which he met a number of remarkable people and learned a lot. Tragically, FSA is a multi-generation problem on many Indian reservations.
The book is beautifully written. It inspires me to read some of Michael's fiction.
As a single teacher in an experimental college, in his mid-20s, Michael, who has Indian (the term he prefers to Native American) ancestry, decided he wanted to be a father. After a lot of difficulty, he adopted Adam, an Indian boy. He was warned that Adam had some difficulties, but Michael attributed them to his history of abuse and being raised to age 3 in foster homes. Slowly, after much denial, Michael had to agree that Adam was somehow damaged. It turned out to be fetal alcohol syndrome (FSA). Michael started researching for a cure. Meanwhile, he adopted another Indian boy, and then a girl, both normal children. Then he met Louise, and each of them recalled later knowing from their first date being sure he/she had met her future spouse. A couple of years later, the five members of the family married each other. The following year, Louise adopted the three children.
Much of the book involves Michael's description of his search for answers about FSA, during which he met a number of remarkable people and learned a lot. Tragically, FSA is a multi-generation problem on many Indian reservations.
The book is beautifully written. It inspires me to read some of Michael's fiction.
August 24, 2011
I picked up this book because I love a gripping non-fiction book, and I also enjoyed Dorris's novel "A Yellow Raft in Blue Water," which I read a number of years ago. About 40 pages in, I committed the cardinal sin of Googling Michael Dorris (I try not to look something up if I'm not done reading it yet) and OMG -- I wish I hadn't. Look him up and you'll see what I mean. It was tough to remain objective as I read the remainder of the book, which is very well written and quite interesting. Unfortunately, Dorris comes off as a bit preachy and a bit too "saintly." Regardless of what happened in his personal life, the book should stand alone on its own as an informational and personal source on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Some of the historical context was quite telling too -- at one point the American Medical Association encouraged pregnant women to drink. And, it wasn't all that long ago. Ladies, read this, and if you ever get pregnant, you will probably not touch one drop of alcohol during your pregnancy.
June 22, 2017
The most powerful book written (imho) on the precious in utero months of human brain development, and thus the absolute necessity of the uterus-owner's (the pregnant woman's) buy-in and cooperation in creating a healthy fetal environment, during those months; leading to the caveat that there MUST BE complete, mandatory, across the board, free, accessible, safe and legal abortion. Sans silly tests or requirements. Period.
If one becomes pregnant with an unwanted pregnancy - to say to that woman - you must NOW eat this way, stop all alcohol, cigarettes, recreational drugs you may use, take this huge vitamin, spend a lot of money on doctor/nurse visits... (and much more)- basically Completely Change Your Life For a Parasite You Don't Want. It ain't likely she's going to follow those rules.
And, oh, BTW, including birth control of all types, in all health care plans, or make them real inexpensive seems smart and forward thinking too, doesn't it?
To ask a woman to discard her life, postpone her plans, to be an organ donor without choice leads to more of the heartbreaking children Michael had the courage and heart to adopt, and the life-long battle for all of them that then ensued. And this incredibly interesting book.
Overall - a soulful, authentic, story from a rare, sensitive, courageous man who suffered much, including a painful betrayal later in his life, decades after this book. Michael Dorris survived much before LE, but her lies were the final straw, and he took his life. We lost a treasure.
Recommended for those interested in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and/or children incapable of a concept of the future.
If one becomes pregnant with an unwanted pregnancy - to say to that woman - you must NOW eat this way, stop all alcohol, cigarettes, recreational drugs you may use, take this huge vitamin, spend a lot of money on doctor/nurse visits... (and much more)- basically Completely Change Your Life For a Parasite You Don't Want. It ain't likely she's going to follow those rules.
And, oh, BTW, including birth control of all types, in all health care plans, or make them real inexpensive seems smart and forward thinking too, doesn't it?
To ask a woman to discard her life, postpone her plans, to be an organ donor without choice leads to more of the heartbreaking children Michael had the courage and heart to adopt, and the life-long battle for all of them that then ensued. And this incredibly interesting book.
Overall - a soulful, authentic, story from a rare, sensitive, courageous man who suffered much, including a painful betrayal later in his life, decades after this book. Michael Dorris survived much before LE, but her lies were the final straw, and he took his life. We lost a treasure.
Recommended for those interested in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and/or children incapable of a concept of the future.
July 9, 2009
I learned a lot from this book about the struggles of a parent with FAS or FAE. The expectations we put on our children can be pretty burdensome for both the children and the student. This book was very humble in its approach to some of the more complicated moral issues involved with FAS as well. I thought that Mr. Dorris spoke from the heart, but also shed some light onto the moral crossroads that confronts our society in the form of mothers who continue to have and abandon FAS children. Should this be a crime? Is it societies place to step in and revoke the freedom to limit the life of a child before they are given a chance to live? This book also spoke about how children with FAS think and process that allowed me to see this population in a new way. Some of my past tendancies were playing along with expectations for understanding with students that experience FAS that probably set myself and them up to experience failure. In the future, I hope to hear some of the warnings from this book before I fly off the handle and confront a student whose attention has drifted off without my presence by their side, or consider just a moment more just who I am angry at when I must reteach the same skill over and over to a student who doesn't seem to care or want the information I am offering them. "Abstract" thinking and projecting consequences for currently actions beyond the current scope is an integral skill that might not be something I can fathom living without. In any case, this was a good book that made me think about a lot of interesting things.
September 4, 2014
For my Health Science course we had to read a personal account of FASD and write a letter to the author expressing how we felt about their book and how their writing affected us. Since I plan to have my own children within the next 7-10 years Dorris's accounts related to raising children and Adam's struggles growing up shed some new light on being a parent for me.
Unfortunately, I decided to look up some more information on Michael Dorris and discovered the rather unsavoury events that occurred after the publication of this book: his divorce, Adam's death, accusations of abuse from his daughters, his second son Sava's attempts to sue him and ultimately Dorris's suicide in 1997.
Though we shouldn't allow events outside of the book prevent us from learning the message, knowing about Dorris's life not presented in this book does make his elusive nature about his personal life more obvious.
Book #7 of the 2014 Reading Challenge.
Unfortunately, I decided to look up some more information on Michael Dorris and discovered the rather unsavoury events that occurred after the publication of this book: his divorce, Adam's death, accusations of abuse from his daughters, his second son Sava's attempts to sue him and ultimately Dorris's suicide in 1997.
Though we shouldn't allow events outside of the book prevent us from learning the message, knowing about Dorris's life not presented in this book does make his elusive nature about his personal life more obvious.
Book #7 of the 2014 Reading Challenge.
July 13, 2009
I would give this 3.5 stars if I could. Dorris was a talented writer and a driven man. This tale of his struggles to raise and support his son with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome before the name or diagnosis was well known or understood is moving and humble. Humble is an odd word to use, but the best I could come up with, Dorris is clearly a well-educated and proud person who is not always humble in the text...but he shares his own mistakes and ego errors/denial ("I am smart, therefore I know that doctor saying my child has low IQ is wrong" sort of ego error).
It is a hard tale and he and the people he quotes have some controversial ideas that if nothing else stir conversation over the debate of the rights of the unborn and pregnant women. I found it was a good read despite the age and the efforts done for FAS since the original publication date.
It is a hard tale and he and the people he quotes have some controversial ideas that if nothing else stir conversation over the debate of the rights of the unborn and pregnant women. I found it was a good read despite the age and the efforts done for FAS since the original publication date.
July 10, 2009
I picked up this book at a summer cabin and read it in three days, which is a pleasure in and of itself -- getting to read a book straight-through from cover-to-cover. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot from it. I also am struck by how, 20 years after its publication and wide impact, people are still in immense denial about the impact of drinking while pregnant. The reactions I have gotten here amongst this group of vacationers to the idea that any drinking while pregnant is a bad idea astound me -- you'd think I was suggested they not eat! It gives me pause. There is still so much education to be done. I really enjoyed the book & am of course saddened by knowing how both "Adam" and Michael's lives would end. I wish I could inhabit, just for a month, a world entirely without alcohol, and see how things might feel dramatically different.
July 10, 2016
Michael spent the entire book praising himself for being a single parent who raised a difficult adopted Native FAS child. Adam was never really described as a gift or a blessing...he never had good moments. He just had FAS.
The information is of course outdated now, and i feel there are much more relevant books out there that provide a more positive outlook for parents.
The information is of course outdated now, and i feel there are much more relevant books out there that provide a more positive outlook for parents.
December 10, 2023
Very informative. Wisely-written with beautiful descriptions. The agony, confusion, and frustration of the author and the characters are brilliantly written and described. Besides, they're greatly felt. It's my first nonfiction book and definitely not my last.
September 15, 2014
I read this book many years ago for an assignment in a grad class. I remember being surprised by how much I learned from it and how much I liked it. Definitely going to re-read this one.
June 12, 2017
This makes me so sad--such a preventable tragedy! It seems incomprehensible that so recently people were unaware of the effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
August 8, 2025
Did Kamala Harris secretly co-author this book? The biggest pile of word salad I’ve ever wasted my time on.
July 16, 2018
A sad story , very enlightening about the horror of the fas and fae children.
March 27, 2022
This book was a DNF for me a number of years ago, pretty early on in the book. I took it to work to read during dinner, which allowed me to get through it, but I didn't love it. In the early 1970s, Michael Dorris became one of the few single men in that day to adopt a child. Being of Native American heritage, Dorris specifically wanted an Indian child. The book is from 1989, so dated terminology such as Indian is frequent throughout. Anyhow, he was matched with Adam, a 3 year old child of an alcoholic mother, and Adam appeared to be suffering from severe neglect and failure to thrive. Dorris felt that all Adam needed was a loving, nurturing home and the patience of those around him, to overcome his rough early years, even if it might take a little while to catch up. Dorris always viewed Adam through rose-colored glasses and could not accept that there might be something permanently affecting Adam's development.
At the time, there was no such disease as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and baby books actually encouraged mothers to drink alcohol during pregnancy. More unfortunately for Adam is that drinking alcohol is a cultural rite of passage on reservations, and it was highly likely that his mother drank large quantities of whatever alcohol was available throughout her pregnancy and even in the years leading up to it, and certainly in the years afterward as she died of alcohol poisoning not long after Adam's birth.
Dorris takes the book from merely a biography of Adam and what raising a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is like into also including his research into the problem of alcohol use in the Native American population and its effect on the youth population.
The overwhelming feeling I got from this book was of frustration. Frustration that there's little that can be done for children with FAS once they've been exposed to enough alcohol to impair their development, that Adam's adulthood would require near 24/7 supervision and that FAS adults are largely institutionalized for that reason, or in jail because they have little insight into what is right vs. wrong. Frustration that there's not nearly enough funding for anti-alcohol education on reservations, and that what efforts are made are largely ignored by the people living there, as it's seen as more interference by outsiders who are not members of the tribe. Frustration that so many children on the reservations are afflicted in some degree by FAS or FAE (Fetal Alcohol Effect, a less severe disease), their parents are too drunk to care for them, if not dead, and more likely than not, they'll grow up in an orphanage, remain on the reservation, and themselves turn to alcohol to distance themselves from the challenges their condition brings upon their lives, perpetuating the cycle with the next generation. I found the education interesting, but there's little I could do to change the circumstances of FAS besides not drinking should I become pregnant some day.
Seeing that the book is 30+ years old, I was curious what happened after the book ended. I shouldn't have looked. Dorris and Adam are both deceased. Adam from being hit by a car just a few years after the book came out, tragic but not surprising given the way Dorris described his inability to link cause and effect, that chances are the logic of 'look both ways before crossing the street so you don't get hit by a car' did not stick with Adam. Dorris died at his own hand a few years later, having been threatened by his younger son, who likely also had FAS or at least FAE, estranged from his wife and daughters, who accused him of sexual abuse, and in an ironic twist, struggled with his own battle with alcoholism.
Overall, a sad story all around. One that will leave me thinking, but with more questions than answers.
At the time, there was no such disease as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and baby books actually encouraged mothers to drink alcohol during pregnancy. More unfortunately for Adam is that drinking alcohol is a cultural rite of passage on reservations, and it was highly likely that his mother drank large quantities of whatever alcohol was available throughout her pregnancy and even in the years leading up to it, and certainly in the years afterward as she died of alcohol poisoning not long after Adam's birth.
Dorris takes the book from merely a biography of Adam and what raising a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is like into also including his research into the problem of alcohol use in the Native American population and its effect on the youth population.
The overwhelming feeling I got from this book was of frustration. Frustration that there's little that can be done for children with FAS once they've been exposed to enough alcohol to impair their development, that Adam's adulthood would require near 24/7 supervision and that FAS adults are largely institutionalized for that reason, or in jail because they have little insight into what is right vs. wrong. Frustration that there's not nearly enough funding for anti-alcohol education on reservations, and that what efforts are made are largely ignored by the people living there, as it's seen as more interference by outsiders who are not members of the tribe. Frustration that so many children on the reservations are afflicted in some degree by FAS or FAE (Fetal Alcohol Effect, a less severe disease), their parents are too drunk to care for them, if not dead, and more likely than not, they'll grow up in an orphanage, remain on the reservation, and themselves turn to alcohol to distance themselves from the challenges their condition brings upon their lives, perpetuating the cycle with the next generation. I found the education interesting, but there's little I could do to change the circumstances of FAS besides not drinking should I become pregnant some day.
Seeing that the book is 30+ years old, I was curious what happened after the book ended. I shouldn't have looked. Dorris and Adam are both deceased. Adam from being hit by a car just a few years after the book came out, tragic but not surprising given the way Dorris described his inability to link cause and effect, that chances are the logic of 'look both ways before crossing the street so you don't get hit by a car' did not stick with Adam. Dorris died at his own hand a few years later, having been threatened by his younger son, who likely also had FAS or at least FAE, estranged from his wife and daughters, who accused him of sexual abuse, and in an ironic twist, struggled with his own battle with alcoholism.
Overall, a sad story all around. One that will leave me thinking, but with more questions than answers.
November 27, 2018
Dorris was one of the first single men in America who was allowed to adopt as a single father, and his first adopted son, called "Adam" in the book, was permanently damaged by his biological mother's drinking during pregnancy. The book takes place when Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was just beginning to be recognized, diagnosed and studied, and Dorris becomes an advocate for helping these children and figuring out prevention methods. His special focus is on Native American communities since Dorris is mixed-race, with Native American ancestors, and his son is full-blooded Native American, and alcoholism is endemic, at that time, on many reservations. The final chapter is written by Adam. Even though some of the science is outdated by now, the author did bring a ton of attention to FAS and started a national debate about drinking while pregnant with this book, so it's well worth a read. (Dorris committed suicide after being accused of abusing his children, including Adam, so that impacted my feelings about this book as well.)
February 22, 2012
This was a depressing book that should serve as a great reminder of why your doctor or midwife tells you not to drink during pregnancy. Apart from that it is not especially hopeful, especially if you read up on what happened to this family afterwards and outside of the content of the book.
February 1, 2017
I didn't know anything about Michael Dorris until I read this book. Having followed the research reports about fetal alcohol syndrome, I appreciated his first-hand accounts. It would have benefitted from stronger editing.
November 12, 2008
I had to read this in college. It's about a man that adopts a little boy born with fetal alcohol syndrome. Good and sad.
January 22, 2009
I thought the first part was very interesting. Skimmed through the last part which was more about FAS not his personal experiences with it.
September 11, 2016
Not to be missed. The memoir of a man who adopted a child who proved to have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Beautifully written, well-thought-out, and moving.
November 24, 2021
In the 1970s, a young college professor applied to adopt as a single parent. Once approved, he shortly met--and fell in love with--a beautiful, undersized 3-year-old Native American boy. Records showed that Adam had an extensive medical history, but Dorris, with the confidence of a new parent, was undaunted--no problems could withstand the forces of love and informed intelligence. After years of repeated epileptic seizures and minimal developmental headway, Adam was diagnosed: he was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, a profoundly debilitating, lifelong condition caused by his mother's heavy drinking during pregnancy. As a professional anthropologist on the Dartmouth faculty, Dorris spent years researching FAS, readily observable in the U.S. on Indian reservations; an Native American himself, he offers alarming profiles and statistics about the high incidence of FAS in the Indian population. But the heartbreak of this preventable disease is felt most pointedly in the stories he tells about Adam's narrow life in a world closed to the effects of imagination. In graceful, unencumbered prose, Dorris bares the frustration of day-to-day living with Adam, admits his rage at his own impotence to make his son's life fuller and eloquently describes moments of pride, hope and--always--love. Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize, Nonfiction (1990), National Book Critics Circle Award, General Nonfiction (1989), Washington State Book Award (1990).
May 4, 2019
Well, first off, about a fifth of the way through the book I got curious as to what this guy and his son are up to these days. After googling the answer, it made it really hard to read the book objectively.
While this book was super informative about FAS and the effects of drinking during pregnancy, I feel like the author used Adam as an example in a “woe-is-me-look-how-awful-my-son-is” kind of way. Like, I found myself thinking many times “gee, what a pain it would be to live with this kid,” but there were few instances when the author painted his son in a positive light. He would go on for paragraphs about Adam’s incapabilities and how difficult everyday life is and the sometimes the only good thing he had to say about Adam was “he was a sweet kid.”
Overall I guess the book accomplished its purpose. I now plan on abstaining from alcohol completely if/when I become pregnant.
While this book was super informative about FAS and the effects of drinking during pregnancy, I feel like the author used Adam as an example in a “woe-is-me-look-how-awful-my-son-is” kind of way. Like, I found myself thinking many times “gee, what a pain it would be to live with this kid,” but there were few instances when the author painted his son in a positive light. He would go on for paragraphs about Adam’s incapabilities and how difficult everyday life is and the sometimes the only good thing he had to say about Adam was “he was a sweet kid.”
Overall I guess the book accomplished its purpose. I now plan on abstaining from alcohol completely if/when I become pregnant.
September 13, 2021
This book was a true eye-opener to the realities of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, in terms of both individual experience and nation-wide impacts (particularly on Native American communities). I appreciated how this book mixed in factual description/analysis with nonfiction storytelling, though at times the factual sections get a bit lengthy for what is generally marketed as a nonfiction "story" rather than a historical or medical account of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (think: intercalary chapters that go on a little too long sometimes). Overall, though, the narrative sections of the book are profoundly moving, and asked me to consider difficult real-life situations I have been fortunate to not encounter.
September 25, 2021
Yellow Raft on Blue Water is one of my favorite books, but I waited over 30 years to read The Broken Cord because I thought a book about fetal alcohol syndrome would be depressing. Instead, it was riveting. Heartbreaking, and yet somehow not depressing. I understand so much more about learning disabilities and the people who live with them. A number of reviewers have dissed this book because some of the author's other children accused him of molestation and then he committed suicide. My five stars judges the book and all it conveys. I don't have enough information to "rate" the author as a person.
November 16, 2017
The author adopted an Indian boy, Adam, who was taken away
from his mother due to abuse and neglect. Adam was born with
fetal alcohol syndrome due to his alcoholic mother's drinking
while she was pregnant with him. Adam had many developmental
& physical problems due to FAS, among them, serious seizures.
It's a shame that innocent babies have to suffer with so many
problems because of this.
The author adopted Adam when he was single. Later he also
adopted another boy & later a girl. Hats off to him!
from his mother due to abuse and neglect. Adam was born with
fetal alcohol syndrome due to his alcoholic mother's drinking
while she was pregnant with him. Adam had many developmental
& physical problems due to FAS, among them, serious seizures.
It's a shame that innocent babies have to suffer with so many
problems because of this.
The author adopted Adam when he was single. Later he also
adopted another boy & later a girl. Hats off to him!
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