The Lost Children of Wilder (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: Nina Bernstein
- First Published: 2001
- Type of Work: Sociology
- Time of Work: 1959-2000
- Setting: New York City and vicinity
- Principal Characters: Shirley Wilder, Lamont Wilder, Marcia Lowry
- Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology
- Subjects: 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s, Children, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Abused persons, Twentieth century, New York City, Abandoned children, 1980’s, Child abuse, Domestic violence, Law or legislation, Adoption or adopted children, 1990’s, Runaway children, 2000’s
- Locales: New York, NY
In The Lost Children of “Wilder,” journalist Nina Bernstein has organized a decade’s worth of research on New York City’s foster care system into an exhaustive, fascinating account of both a landmark class-action suit and a mother and son’s personal journey through this system. Often compared to the fictitious Jarndyce v. Jarndyce case in Charles Dickens’s Bleak House (1852-1853), which lingered in the courts so long that no one could remember what it was about, the Wilder case was finally settled out of court after fifteen years of motions,...
[The entire page is 1675 words long]

