The Lost Daughters of China

An instant classic upon publication in hardcover in 2000, The Lost Daughters of China presents both a compelling and informative look at the Chinese adoption process. In this book, Karin Evans tells the story of adopting her daughter Kelly, who was one of the hundreds of thousands of infant girls who wait for parents in orphanages all over China at any given time. Evans artfully weaves this personal account with extensive insights into the conditions that have led… (more)

An instant classic upon publication in hardcover in 2000, The Lost Daughters of China presents both a compelling and informative look at the Chinese adoption process. In this book, Karin Evans tells the story of adopting her daughter Kelly, who was one of the hundreds of thousands of infant girls who wait for parents in orphanages all over China at any given time. Evans artfully weaves this personal account with extensive insights into the conditions that have led to generations of abandoned Chinese girls and a legacy of lost women. Recently, the Chinese government has made many significant changes in their policies with regard to international adoption, and in this fully revised and updated edition Evans addresses these changes. Many of the first girls to be adopted from China are now in their teens (China opened its doors to international adoption beginning only in the early 1990s), and Evans also includes in this edition moving stories of these girls' experiences growing up in the United States, and in some cases, returning to China in search of their roots. The Lost Daughters of China is a beautifully written portrait of Chinese adoption.