Fall or Fly - The Strangely Hopeful Story of Foster Care and Adoption in Appalachia (Paperback)


Chaos. Frustration. Compassion. Desperation. Hope. These are the five words that author Wendy Welch says best summarize the state of foster care in the coalfields of Appalachia. Her assessment is based on interviews with more than sixty social workers, parents, and children who have gone through "the system." The riveting stories in Fall or Fly tell what foster care is like, from the inside out. In depictions of foster care and adoption, stories tend to cluster at the dark or light ends of the spectrum, rather than telling the day-to-day successes and failures of families working to create themselves. Who raises other people's children? Why? What's money got to do with it when the love on offer feels so real? And how does the particular setting of Appalachia-itself so frequently oversimplified or stereotyped-influence the way these questions play out? In Fall or Fly, Welch invites people bound by a code of silence to open up and to share their experiences. Less inspiration than a call to caring awareness, this pioneering work of storytelling journalism explores how love, compassion, money, and fear intermingle in what can only be described as a marketplace for our nation's greatest asset.

R572

Or split into 4x interest-free payments of 25% on orders over R50
Learn more

Discovery Miles5720
Free Delivery
Delivery AdviceShips in 12 - 17 working days


Toggle WishListAdd to wish list
Review this Item

Product Description

Chaos. Frustration. Compassion. Desperation. Hope. These are the five words that author Wendy Welch says best summarize the state of foster care in the coalfields of Appalachia. Her assessment is based on interviews with more than sixty social workers, parents, and children who have gone through "the system." The riveting stories in Fall or Fly tell what foster care is like, from the inside out. In depictions of foster care and adoption, stories tend to cluster at the dark or light ends of the spectrum, rather than telling the day-to-day successes and failures of families working to create themselves. Who raises other people's children? Why? What's money got to do with it when the love on offer feels so real? And how does the particular setting of Appalachia-itself so frequently oversimplified or stereotyped-influence the way these questions play out? In Fall or Fly, Welch invites people bound by a code of silence to open up and to share their experiences. Less inspiration than a call to caring awareness, this pioneering work of storytelling journalism explores how love, compassion, money, and fear intermingle in what can only be described as a marketplace for our nation's greatest asset.

Customer Reviews

No reviews or ratings yet - be the first to create one!

Product Details

General

Imprint

Ohio University Press

Country of origin

United States

Release date

2018

Availability

Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days

First published

2017

Authors

Dimensions

229 x 152mm (L x W)

Format

Paperback

Pages

198

ISBN-13

978-0-8214-2302-8

Barcode

9780821423028

Categories

LSN

0-8214-2302-9



Trending On Loot