Relative Strangers [Paperback]

Hunter Davies (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 21, 2003

Relative Strangers is a history of adoption in Britain, and the true-life tale of the seventy-one-year-old Hodder triplets. The book tells the unique and moving story of how the triplets, adopted as babies in 1932, were reunited in June 2001 - the first time the three of them had been together since their birth. Their life stories and how they found each other again are interspersed with the story of adoption, which began as a legal phenomenon in the UK in 1926. The book also describes the twenty-five-year legal battle fought by NORCAP (the National Organisation for the Counselling of Children and Parents) to change the adoption laws, which helped to bring the triplets, and other adoptees, together again. Hunter Davies is one of Britain's most sympathetic and thoughtful interviewers, and the author of over thirty books. He has interviewed the triplets at length and has had access through NORCAP to other case histories, which are themselves profoundly affecting

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Commendable.' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'A unique and moving story.' WESTERN MAIL

About the Author

Hunter Davies has written three modern classics - A Walk Around the Lakes, The Glory Game and the authorised biography of The Beatles. A former editor of the Sunday Times Magazine, he is one of Britain's great newspaper interviewers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (August 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316860581
• ISBN-13: 978-0316860581
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,758,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A CHARMING, DELIGHTFUL BOOK, August 17, 2010

By 

Anne Salazar "inveterate reader" (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Relative Strangers (Hardcover)

This is a totally charming and delightful book, a true account of triplets born in England in 1932 and separated very soon thereafter. Their mother died on the day of their birth and their father was unable to care for them, so they were taken in by a large orphanage near their home. They were eventually adopted by different families and, by their own accounts, had loving homes and enjoyed happy childhoods. The author is thrilled with his story and I could envision him smiling as I was reading along about how they--and a family consisting of six other siblings--were eventually brought together. It is so refreshing to read of dramatic events in people's lives that does not include any sort of abuse or violence--so much so that this book becomes very life-affirming. I loved it!

They say "never judge a book by its cover" and I didn't since Amazon didn't show the cover, but I might have if I had seen the cover of this book. It shows a photo of British orphans out for a walk, all of them dressed alike and holding hands, most of them smiling. The presumed care-taker of these FOURTEEN children looks into the camera with a placid half-smile on her face. It would appear that all's right with the world, and that is a great feeling to have in these days--or any day!

Need I say it again? I loved this book!