Praise for WONDERLAND

“As Meyer chronicles her sleuthing, she zooms out to examine the social and emotional forces that drove families to seek under the table adoptions in the so-called “Baby Scoop Era,” from 1945 to 1973, and predicts that the end of Roe v. Wade could lead to another surge. The result is both a poignant personal narrative and a work of impressive reporting.”

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"More than a personal memoir... a close examination of flawed systems, their lasting impacts, and how trauma, memory, and experience create layers of complexity... Librarians will want to highly recommend it for an exceptionally wide circle of readers."

—MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

"Wonderland is an important contribution to everyone in the adoption world, from policy-makers to professionals to the millions of people for whom this intricate institution is part of daily life. It vividly shows the very real consequences when bad actors exploit systemic vulnerabilities in the adoption system and – most pointedly – it provides a much-needed reminder of why transparency, equity, honesty, and adoptee-centered practices are vital. Oh, did I mention that it’s a compelling read for almost anyone?"  

—Adam Pertman, Pulitzer Prize-nominated veteran of the Boston Globe, President of the National Center on Adoption and Permanency | Author of Adoption Nation

"In Wonderland Patricia Knight Meyer excavates her own identity through deep layers of trauma and trafficking, loss and longing. It is a brutal story—abuse, addiction, assault—told by an unflinching narrator, determined to document the divergence between adoption's beautiful promises and what can happen when maternal desperation meets back alley need and greed. It is a coming-of-age story, a personal mystery, and a heartfelt reckoning all in one."

— Gretchen Sisson, Sociologist and author of Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood. 

“This memoir unfolds with the momentum of a television series—propulsive and immersive—yet grounded in precise dialogue and careful attention to scene and setting. The writing creates a visceral sense of presence, placing the reader inside each moment as it unfolds. Balancing narrative drive with clear psychological insight, the book illuminates the complex realities of adoption, including the lasting impact of falsified records, illegal practices, and unregulated systems.”

— Dr. Liz DeBetta, author of Adult Adoptees and Writing to Heal

Patricia’s writing is at once deeply personal, with intimate scenes of her childhood filled with colorful characters rooted in the south, and expansive, tracing the history of black market adoption in the United States. Throughout, Meyer offers penetrating insights into the singular perspective of an adopted person. Arriving at key answers but no easy resolution, the story powerfully communicates the inhumanity of an industry that treats children as commodities while depriving them of the right to knowledge about their origins. More broadly, it reflects on the cost of adoption itself, a system that profits from separating families, leaving lifelong trauma for all involved and only fragments of identity with which an adopted person may build."

— Amy Seek, author of GOD AND JETFIRE 

“In WONDERLAND: A Black Market Baby's Rise from Adoption's Rabbit Hole, Patricia Knight Meyer, who grew up a relinquished child in the Baby Scoop Era, tenaciously interrogates the history she’s been told in a search for answers about the brutal separation from her first mother and her complex relationship with the troubled parents who raised her. With unswerving courage, compassion, and a commitment to discovering the truth, Knight weaves together and evokes the lived experience of adoptees, first parents, and adoptive parents. In scrutinizing the forces that shaped her life she gives voice to both the enduring wounds of adoption, the choices we make, and the transformative power of reclaiming our stories.”

—Ronit Plank, author of When She Comes Back and host, Let’s Talk Memoir podcast

“WONDERLAND forces readers to confront a reality that adoption narratives often avoid: that systems built on secrecy make ordinary people complicit in harm—and leave children to carry the consequences....Clear-eyed and rigorously honest, this memoir belongs in any serious conversation about the legacy of the Baby Scoop Era.”

—Julie Ryan McGue, author of Twice a Daughter, Twice the Family, and Belonging Matters

“Patricia Meyer’s story is a powerful testament to what happens when identity is built on secrecy, and what becomes possible when truth is finally uncovered. Her journey from being sold as a newborn to reclaiming her legal and personal identity decades later reveals the profound impact of trauma, fear, and the lifelong search for belonging. This courageous memoir offers hope to adoptees, parents, and anyone who believes that healing begins when we dare to face the truth.”

—Bryan Post, internationally recognized clinician and speaker, renowned adoption expert, best-selling author of From Fear to Love, and founder of Bondify.ai