Hard to Place: A Crime of Alcohol (Paperback)

~ Katherine Norgard (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Devoted mother fighting to save her son. . . . unveils an adoption procedure that did not disclose his inutero exposure to alcohol. -- Francis L. Moore, M.D., Med. Director, Cottonwood de Tucson

Devoted mother fighting to save her son. . . . unveils an adoption procedure that did not disclose his inutero exposure to alcohol. --Francis L. Moore, M.D., Med. Director, Cottonwood de Tucson

account of her son's death row experiences offers compelling insight into the quicksand of the criminal justice system. -- Judge Rudy Gerber, Ariz Court of Appeals (Ret.)

account of her son's death row experiences offers compelling insight into the quicksand of the criminal justice system. --Judge Rudy Gerber, Ariz Court of Appeals (Ret.)

unique personal and professional insight into difficulties a family faces when a loved one is charged with a capital crime. -- Jeffrey L. Kirchmeier, Prof. of Law, CUNY School of Law

unique personal and professional insight into difficulties a family faces when a loved one is charged with a capital crime. --Jeffrey L. Kirchmeier, Prof. of Law, CUNY School of Law

Product Description

Hard to Place: A Crime of Alcohol is a unique peronal account about the difficulties faced by a family when a loved one is charged with a capital crime. It reveals the fine line between what seems like a clear case of guilt while leaving the reader with doubts as to whether justice is served, given the legal versus medical/psychological perspectives of the crime and the complicated issue of fault.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Recovery Resources Press (January 2, 2006)
• ISBN-10: 0967201543
• ISBN-13: 978-0967201542
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #483,654 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Preventable Consequence, February 20, 2006

By	Starr Sanders - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Katherine Norgard's latest book aptly shows the serious health problem and consequences of fetal alcohol syndrome that tragically affects victims and families alike. This book also illustrates in a vivid and compelling way the harrowing experience of a mother managing her life with a son convicted of murder and sentenced to death.

Ms. Norgard's adopted son John is a prime example of the results that a family endures because of a mother drinking during pregnancy. Causing a child to suffer from FAS is nothing short of child abuse and the effects of this indulgence usually last a lifetime. Had John's biological mother abstained from drinking alcohol during her pregancy, the outcomes depicted in Norgard's story would no doubt have been different. Those individuals of childbearing age who do read this persuasive story will know that there clearly is not a safe amount of alcohol to drink during pregnancy or even by those contemplating pregnancy. It is certainly a must read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Will Appeal to Many Audiences, May 12, 2006

By	Candace D'Addario (Pasadena, California) - See all my reviews

Hard to Place: A Crime of Alcohol is the story of Kathy Norgard's effort to save her adopted son John from the death penalty. In the process, she solves the mystery of John's behavioral problems. A charming child with a talent for sports and music, John had always had difficulty telling the truth. There is an explanation and this is discovered by Norgard through an investigation of his birth history following his sentence to death for two murders. This book will appeal to people interested in our justice system and the death penalty but it has a wider appeal on the issues of foster care, adoption and fetal alcohol syndrome. What impresses me the most is Norgard's ability to draw support from family, friends and her faith to get through one of the most devastating challenges any parent could imagine.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to Place -A mother's search for hope, February 27, 2006

By	Robin B. Dilley "Robin B. Dilley Ph.D" (Phoenix Arizona) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Hard to Place: A Crime of Alchohol unfolds as the reader is emotionally drawn into the life and family of Katherine Norgard as she desperately trys to save her adopted son, John,from a death sentence. This is a story that never should have happened. Adoptions, raising another person's child should always have happy endings but in this story "happy" is reduced to an irrelevant term. The reader is carried from chapter to chapter as Norgard gives a first hand account of raising a difficult child that turns into a murderer, discovering that this cute bi-racial child is a victim of disease called fetal alchohol syndrome, damaging John's ability to process and learn from past mistakes. This is must read story of endurance that demonstrates that the human spirit can overcome many daunting obstacles by never giving up. It is a story that will change how you see violent crime and it will awaken you the many injustices of our civil society.