Imagining Adoption (2001) is one of the earliest academic works to explore the representation of adoption in novels (George Elliott), children’s literature (Anne of Green Gables), contemporary fiction (Jeanette Winterson), poetry (Jacki Kay) ,and film (Losing Isaiah).

The scholarly essays also explore magazine articles written by adopting mothers and newsletters produced by adoptee rights organisations.

Some contributors argue that adoption affects the minds of adopted people when they write, even if they’re not writing about adoption.