Many women who were pregnant and unmarried in the early 1900s, facing societal scorn, chose to deliver their babies and give them up for adoption in special facilities for unwed mothers. Due to its central location in the Midwest, Kansas City was home to several maternity hospitals—most prominently The Willows Maternity Sanitarium.

In a co-presentation, authors KelLee Parr and Stephen Rowley share their personal connections to The Willows – both were born and adopted from there – and discuss the diverse destinies of adoptees and the bond they share. Parr draws from his book Mansion on a Hill: The Story of The Willows Maternity Sanitarium and the Adoption Hub of America in examining Kansas City's role as a 20th century adoption hub and the maternity homes operating here.  

Rowley, author of The Lost Coin: A Memoir of Adoption and Destiny, was born at The Willows on February 10, 1949, exactly 75 years from the date of this presentation. He discusses his lifelong search for his birthparents and his identity. And as a psychotherapist, he provides insight into the impact of separating mothers and their children at birth.  

This presentation is a special Saturday installment of the Library’s Missouri Valley Sundays speaker series.