Family: ‘My Mother’s Daughter’ And Uncovering Long Buried Family Stories

Family: ‘My Mother’s Daughter’ And Uncovering Long Buried Family Stories

August 31, 2026 · 44 min

About this episode

The episode explores the uncovering of long-buried family stories related to unwed mothers and adoption through a DNA test connecting two sisters.

Between 1950 and 1975, an estimated 1.5 million women were sent to homes for unwed mothers across the United States. There, most were hidden away from their families and communities until they gave birth and placed their babies for adoption. Some of those adoptions were involuntary. That type of experience is hard to forget. For one family, a past that had been buried for decades finally came to light after a DNA test connected two long-lost sisters. We hear from both of them, as part of the new book , “My Mother’s Daughter: Finding Myself in My Family’s Fractured Past.” Find more of our programs online . Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

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