Customer Reviews

Babies for Sale: The Tennessee Children's Home Adoption Scandal

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Austin is an attorney and historian. This book is a study of adoption in a corrupt political machine run by "boss" Edward Hull Crump in Tennessee. Crump ruled Memphis during a period when cities were run by criminals. In this age, governments were run for the personal profit of the "bosses & their machines."

Among the known activities these city bosses profited from was gambling, prostitution, bootlegging and the sale of favors from public office. Austin's book adds adoption through secret courts to the list of criminal activities.

The director of the Children's Home, Georgia Tann and the judge of the juvenile court, Camille Kelley were appointed and controlled by Crump. Evidence indicated that these people made millions from baby selling in the guise of adoption. The baby selling was exposed in 1950 by the late Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver.

Kefauver was subsequently appointed by the United States Senate to head a national investigation on organized crime. As late as 1964 Kefaufer's committee was making recommendations for changes in adoption law that would eleminate the crimianl element. The changes were never "adopted."

Austin's book is a fascinating look at how government can be run by criminals for their own profit. This book sheds light on the nature of secrecy in government. Secrecy in adoption is all criminals need to profit from a criminal activity.

This is a story that has great dramatic potential - abused children, deceived parents, abuse of power and political scandal. Unfortunately, the author was unable to put any life into this story. The organization is very poor, with time lines and thematic lines jumbled about. Irrelevant biographical details and interminable discussions of various adoption laws make for annoying interruptions, and when an interesting narrative appears it ends abuptly without discussion of its relevance. With effort, a reader can glean the elements of the story, but it is hard work.

THIS BOOK WAS A EYE OPENER. I WAS A STOLLEN BABIEFROM THE TENN. CHILDRENS HOME AND FOUND THE INFO. IN THE BOOK VERY, VERY, ACC.IT WAS A GREAT HELP TO ME IN GETTING MY SUIT READY TO FILE HOPEFULY IN 2001 AGENSIT THE STATE OF TENN.