Overview

Even at twelve years old Deborah Jiang Stein, the adopted daughter of a progressive Jewish couple in Seattle, felt like an outsider. Her Asian features set her apart from her white, well-intentioned parents who evaded questions about her past, insisting it didn't matter. But when Deborah discovered a letter revealing the truth--that she was born in prison to a heroin-addicted mother and spent the first year of her life in prison--she spiraled into emotional lockdown. For years she turned to drugs, violence, and crime as a way to cope with her grief. Ultimately, Deborah overcame the stigma, shame, and secrecy of her birth, and found peace by helping others--proving that redemption and acceptance is possible even from the darkest corners. A deeply personal and inspiring memoir recounting one woman's struggles-beginning with her birth in prison-to find self-acceptance Prison Babyis a revised and substantially expanded version of Deborah Jiang Stein's self-published memoir,Even Tough Girls Wear Tutus. Even at twelve years old, Deborah, the adopted daughter of a progressive Jewish couple in Seattle, felt like an outsider. Her mixed Asian features set her apart from her white, well-intentioned parents who evaded questions about her past. But when she discovered a letter revealing the truth of her prison birth to a heroin-addicted mother-and that she spent the first year of life in prison-Deborah spiraled into emotional lockdown. For years she turned to drugs, violence, and crime as a way to cope with her grief. Ultimately, Deborah overcame the stigma, shame, and secrecy of her birth, and found peace by helping others-proving that redemption and acceptance are possible even from the darkest corners.

Full Product Details

Author:   Deborah Jiang-Stein
Publisher:   Beacon Press
Imprint:   Beacon Press
Dimensions:   Width: 14.00cm , Height: 1.30cm , Length: 21.10cm
Weight:   0.181kg
ISBN:  

9780807098103

ISBN 10:   0807098108
Pages:   184
Publication Date:   04 March 2014
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: The Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 CHAPTER TWO: Lucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 CHAPTER THREE: River of Quiet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 CHAPTER FOUR: On the Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 CHAPTER FIVE: Duets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 CHAPTER SIX: From the Back of the Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 CHAPTER SEVEN: BFD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 CHAPTER EIGHT: On the Fast Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 CHAPTER NINE: Act Normal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 CHAPTER TEN: Gnawed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 CHAPTER ELEVEN: White-Knuckle Ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 CHAPTER TWELVE: One More Secret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Weeping Mother . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Full Circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 CHAPTER FIFTEEN: The Baby Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Another Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: The Telegram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Yarn Toy—More Evidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 CHAPTER NINETEEN: Less Afraid of the Dark Corners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122 CHAPTER TWENTY: Blue Socks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132 CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Return to the Veiled Lady . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Curious and with Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Freedom on the Inside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Then, This . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: Frozen in Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: Beautiful Uncertain World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168 Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171

Reviews

At a time when more and more women are being incarcerated worldwide, Deborah Jiang Stein's story of the secrets and ignominy surrounding her prison birth gives readers a brave account of the backlash children and society encounter when families are torn apart by addiction, prison, and shame. More than anything, Deborah's book is a call for an open-eyed examination of our broken criminal justice system, and a heartfelt plea for more compassionate responses to poverty and mental illness. --Naseem Rakha, author of The Crying Tree A profoundly moving search for identify, Prison Baby is as inspiring as it is haunting. Deborah Jiang Stein's bold, and intrepid honesty will speak to anyone who has struggled with grief, forgiveness, and finding their place in the world. --Katrina Kittle, author of The Blessings of the Animals Prison Baby is an emotionally charged, transformative story about one woman's search for her true origins. Candid and searing, Deborah Jiang Stein's memoir is a remarkable story about identity, lost and found--and about the author's journey to reclaim--and celebrate--that most primal of relationships, the one between mother and child. I dare you to read this book without crying. --Mira Bartok, author of The Memory Palace Prison Baby is an emotionally charged, transformative story about one woman's search for her true origins. Candid and searing, Deborah Jiang Stein's memoir is a remarkable story about identity, lost and found--and about the author's journey to reclaim--and celebrate--that most primal of relationships, the one between mother and child. I dare you to read this book without crying. --Mira Bartok, author of The Memory Palace

Author Information

Deborah Jiang Stein is a national speaker, writer, and founder of The unPrison Project, a 501(c)3 nonprofit which serves to build public awareness about women and girls in prison and offers mentoring and life-skills programs for inmates.

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