The Cruelest Con: The Guide for a S.a.F.E. Adoption Journey [Paperback]

Kelly Kiser-Mostrom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2005

The Cruelest Con “is a unique book in many ways: it is deeply personal, emotionally powerful, and contains important lessons for everyone in the adoption community. We all should read it and learn from it – so that adoption can truly be the rewarding, ethical process that it should be.”—Adam Pertman, author of Adoption Nation and executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute.

For nearly three years, author Kelly Kiser-Mostrom endured the nightmare of an adoption scam. Through her heart-wrenching personal journey in The Cruelest Con, Kiser-Mostrom focuses on the changing and often frightening world of adoption. She exposes the treachery behind adoption facilitator Sonya Furlow who exploited and defrauded forty-four adoptive parents of over $215,000, shattering their most basic dream in life—to have a family.

Kiser-Mostrom points out the chilling truth about adoption laws in the United States. Facilitators are unregulated, and laws vary from state to state, leaving the adoption world wide open for many kinds of criminal activities and baby buying.

Through Kiser-Mostrom’s personal testament, you’ll be able to form a foundation for a positive adoption journey. Kiser-Mostrom focuses on these key points:

· Detect red flags when dealing with an intermediary
· Learn how to cope with grief as a victim of adoption fraud
· Learn how and when to report suspected fraud
· Follow guidelines to obtain an adoption professional
· Find adoption resources
· Gain a new perspective on the positives and negatives of adoption

Don’t let fraud and deception destroy your adoption dreams. Let The Cruelest Con guide you through the adoption process.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kelly Kiser-Mostrom is from the heartland of Nebraska and the adoptive mother of four children. She has pursued adoptions for twenty years with agencies, attorneys, facilitators, and the Department of Family Services. The impact of these events in her life has compelled her to share those experiences. Adoption holds a special place in her heart as her husband and other family members are also adoptees. Articles relating to The Cruelest Con have been reported nationally in Time Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, 48 Hours and Dateline.

Product Details

• Paperback: 162 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (April 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595349986
• ISBN-13: 978-0595349982
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,061,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How could anyone be so cruel?, November 7, 2005

By 

Rita Lott "Beth" (Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cruelest Con: The Guide for a S.a.F.E. Adoption Journey (Paperback)

You think you know something about adoption? This book will open your eyes to just how vulnerable a caring loving family was to cold cruel criminals that preyed on them as they sought to complete their family circle through adoption facilitators. The calculated lies and deception this average American family were dealt and the strength and faith that carried them through their ordeal makes a story that reads like no other story you've ever read about adoption. Why they chose adoption facilitation over the internet and what they now know as the warning signs is a part of the story. Told by a mother who's heart and spirit was near breaking through this virtual and in reality journey, she could easily be your neighbor next door or just down the street. Justice of a kind does prevail and healing, hope and love ultimately overcome the nightmare of the cruelest con. Much more than just a good read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Adoption fraud, May 2, 2008

By 

Ruth Wheadon (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cruelest Con: The Guide for a S.a.F.E. Adoption Journey (Paperback)

I saw Kelly on Dr Phil. He interviewed about four women (not Kelly) who had been involved in adoption fraud and promoted Kelly's book. It was an extremely sad and involved programme. The fraud is complex and desperate women were losing thousands of dollars and gaining a huge amount of pain.

This book describes the American process of adoption. Other countries probably don't have the same inter state problems, although fraud could still happen.

Pages 3-94 contain the author's battle with birth mothers that weren't pregnant who were fraudulently gaining a lot of money and causing a lot of pain.

Pages 95-143 are Appendices about adoption. Helpful information if you have been involved in fraud or want to adopt in America.

Also shows how legal adoption through official services can be very slow and unsuccessful. If you come across an easier way to adopt it probably contains fraud.

More useful as a reference book rather than a biography.