Bastards : a memoir

'a Stirring, Vividly Told Story Of A Young Woman's Quest To Find The Family She Lost . . . An Impressive Debut' -- Peter Balakian. Born Into Poverty In Southern New Jersey And Raised In A Commune Of Single Mothers, Mary Anna King Watched Her Mother Give Away One Of Her Newborn Sisters Every Year To Another Family. All Told, There Were Seven Children: Mary, Her Older Brother, And Five Phantom Sisters. Then One Day, Mary Was Sent Away, Too. Living In Oklahoma With Her Maternal Grandfather, Mary Gets A New Name And A New Life. But She's Haunted By The Past: By The Baby Girls She's Sure Will Come Looking For Her Someday, By The Mother She Had To Leave Behind, By The Father Who Left Her. Mary Is A College Student When Her Sisters Start To Get Back In Touch. With Each Reunion, Her Family Becomes Closer To Whole Again. Moving, Haunting, And At Times Wickedly Funny, Bastards Is About Finding One's Family And Oneself-- Prologue -- Part One. Jersey -- The Day The Music Died -- Marigold Court -- Scars -- The Secondhand Washing Machine -- Bringing Becky Back -- Leaving Jersey -- Part Two. Oklahoma -- Reflections -- Telling Stories -- Discipline -- Things You Can Tell Just By Looking -- The Debt -- Wake Up -- Part Three. Found -- Hammered -- Like A Hole In My Head -- Good Daughter -- Rebekah Two -- Join The Club -- Quarter-life Crisis -- Requiem -- Meeting Lesley. Mary Anna King. "Searing . . . explores how identity forms love, and love, identity. Written in engrossing, intimate prose, it makes us rethink how blood’s deep connections relate to the attachments of proximity."—Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree In the early 1980s, Mary Hall is a little girl growing up in poverty in Camden, New Jersey, with her older brother Jacob and parents who, in her words, were "great at making babies, but not so great at holding on to them." After her father leaves the family, she is raised among a commune of mothers in a low-income housing complex. Then, no longer able to care for the only daughter she has left at home, Mary's mother sends Mary away to Oklahoma to live with her maternal grandparents, who have also been raising her younger sister, Rebecca. When Mary is legally adopted by her grandparents, the result is a family story like no other. Because Mary was adopted by her grandparents, Mary’s mother, Peggy, is legally her sister, while her brother, Jacob, is legally her nephew. Living in Oklahoma with her maternal grandfather, Mary gets a new name and a new life. But she's haunted by the past: by the baby girls she’s sure will come looking for her someday, by the mother she left behind, by the father who left her. Mary is a college student when her sisters start to get back in touch. With each subsequent reunion, her family becomes closer to whole again. Moving, haunting, and at times wickedly funny, Bastards is about finding one's family and oneself. "A stirring, vividly told story of a young woman's quest to find the family she lost . . . an impressive debut." ?Peter Balakian In the early 1980s, Mary Hall is a little girl growing up in poverty in Camden, New Jersey, with her older brother Jacob and parents who, in her words, were "great at making babies, but not so great at holding on to them." After her father leaves the family, she is raised among a commune of mothers in a low-income housing complex. Then, no longer able to care for the only daughter she has left at home, Mary's mother sends Mary away to Oklahoma to live with her maternal grandparents, who have also been raising her younger sister, Rebecca. When Mary is legally adopted by her grandparents, the result is a family story like no other. Because Mary was adopted by her grandparents, Mary's mother, Peggy, is legally her sister, while her brother, Jacob, is legally her nephew. Living in Oklahoma with her maternal grandfather, Mary gets a new name and a new life. But she's haunted by the past: by the baby girls she's sure will come looking for her someday, by the mother she left behind, by the father who left her. Mary is a college student when her sisters start to get back in touch. With each subsequent reunion, her family becomes closer to whole again. Moving, haunting, and at times wickedly funny, Bastards is about finding one's family and oneself "'A stirring, vividly told story of a young woman's quest to find the family she lost ... an impressive debut' -- Peter Balakian. Born into poverty in southern New Jersey and raised in a commune of single mothers, Mary Anna King watched her mother give away one of her newborn sisters every year to another family. All told, there were seven children: Mary, her older brother, and five phantom sisters. Then one day, Mary was sent away, too. Living in Oklahoma with her maternal grandfather, Mary gets a new name and a new life. But she's haunted by the past: by the baby girls she's sure will come looking for her someday, by the mother she had to leave behind, by the father who left her. Mary is a college student when her sisters start to get back in touch. With each reunion, her family becomes closer to whole again. Moving, haunting, and at times wickedly funny, Bastards is about finding one's family and oneself"-- Provided by publisher Born into poverty in southern New Jersey and raised in a commune of single mothers, Mary Anna King watched her mother give away one of her newborn sisters every year to another family. All told, there were seven children: Mary, her older brother, and five phantom sisters. Then one day, Mary was sent away, too. Living in Oklahoma with her maternal grandfather, Mary gets a new name and a new life. But she s haunted by the past: by the baby girls she s sure will come looking for her someday, by the mother she had to leave behind, by the father who left her. Mary is a college student when her sisters start to get back in touch. With each reunion, her family becomes closer to whole again. Moving, haunting, and at times wickedly funny, Bastards is about finding one s family and oneself