The American Psychological Association’s PsycCRITIQUES has a kind, long review of The Child Catchers.
“The Child Catchers is an extremely well researched and gripping tale, with Joyce showing her journalistic nous throughout. One of the book’s strengths for me was in the way that Joyce engaged with the material. After setting the international stage for her readers, early in the book, Joyce joins the players and, in so doing, moves from providing distant, journalistic commentary to becoming a more active observer. She develops relationships with birth parents, adoptive parents, and even some of the adopted persons—as well as with many of the church organizations—all of which give the book a stronger, first-hand, lived experience.
The personal stories woven in amongst the chronologically illustrated sociopolitical events are all compelling, making the book hard to put down. Joyce’s intimate connections with the families and religious groups allow us to get caught up in their lives, as we vacillate between empathy and disgust at what continues to transpire in this movement. It would be easy to condemn the Christian organizations and the parents heeding the call to save the children. Instead, Joyce shows her readers that there are no easy answers to the problems highlighted within the book. Her expert and equitable presentation of the evidence makes it difficult to fully oppose or fully condone the actions and ideals of the Christian families. The answers may lie somewhere in the middle.
In the end, Joyce skillfully brings an important debate to the fore, all the while offering her readers a remarkably fair and balanced look at some extremely emotional and complex issues. Kathryn Joyce’s The Child Catchers is a book that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it. ”
