false 117802 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 117802 8 113408 1988 The Kindness of Strangers: The Abandonment of Children in Western Europe from Late Antiquity to the Renaissance total:18|5:6|4:9|3:3| 18 75 34 2 49101 4.03 240 41 76907118 214838 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.27 15 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 0 0 false Fri Nov 06 07:23:10 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 06 07:24:37 -0800 2009 13981369 835953 117805 0808138448 9780808138440 1 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117805.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_the_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_From_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 3.67 3 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 5 0 false Tue Jan 29 16:23:02 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 29 16:25:48 -0800 2008 79282854 2839842 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 0 0 false Sun Nov 29 07:09:04 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 29 07:09:04 -0800 2009 76479949 2900697 1371053 0679724990 9780679724995 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1371053.Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandoment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissa_nce 0.0 0 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 0 0 false Mon Nov 02 09:08:04 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 02 09:08:04 -0800 2009 74338416 2833810 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 0 0 false Mon Oct 12 18:48:00 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 12 18:48:07 -0700 2009 73539069 2359060 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 4 0 false Mon Oct 05 13:43:25 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 13:43:33 -0700 2009 69595092 2666189 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 4 0 false Mon Aug 31 14:09:14 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 31 14:09:14 -0700 2009 69409526 2683352 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 0 0 false Sat Aug 29 23:23:51 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 30 01:00:24 -0700 2009 68385022 465806 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 0 0 false Fri Aug 21 16:01:49 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 21 16:01:53 -0700 2009 67630537 38437 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 5 0 false Sun Aug 16 13:10:06 -0700 2009 Sun Aug 16 13:10:36 -0700 2009 65525917 2549827 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 5 0 false Thu Jul 30 07:43:48 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 30 07:43:48 -0700 2009 63687606 1896852 117805 0808138448 9780808138440 1 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117805.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_the_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_From_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 3 0 false Wed Jul 15 23:37:11 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 15 23:37:11 -0700 2009 61067289 1360540 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 5 0 false Thu Jun 25 09:52:26 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 25 09:52:26 -0700 2009 59783816 860038 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 4 0 false Mon Jun 15 14:33:40 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 15 14:33:40 -0700 2009 57447464 962022 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 0 0 false Tue May 26 19:48:53 -0700 2009 Tue May 26 19:48:53 -0700 2009 53985711 1973695 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 0 0 false Sat Apr 25 22:32:20 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 25 22:32:20 -0700 2009 52560254 1910836 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 0 0 false Mon Apr 13 16:54:28 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 13 16:54:28 -0700 2009 44276826 1953422 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 4 0 false Sun Jan 25 08:20:16 -0800 2009 Sun Jan 25 08:20:16 -0800 2009 38151930 1029378 117805 0808138448 9780808138440 1 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117805.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_the_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_From_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 3 0 false Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Nov 19 12:09:27 -0800 2008 Wed Jul 08 07:01:28 -0700 2009 34036388 1572483 117802 0226067122 9780226067124 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877m/117802.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171742877s/117802.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117802.The_Kindness_of_Strangers_The_Abandonment_of_Children_in_Western_Europe_from_Late_Antiquity_to_the_Renaissance 4.17 18 The Kindness of Strangers, John Boswell argues persuasively that child abandonment was a common and morally acceptable practice from antiquity until the Renaissance. Using a wide variety of sources, including drama and mythological-literary texts as well as demographics, Boswell examines the evidence that parents of all classes gave up unwanted children, "exposing" them in public places, donating them to the church, or delivering them in later centuries to foundling hospitals. The Kindness of Strangers presents a startling history of the abandoned child that helps to illustrate the changing meaning of family.

"Highly original, learned, and skillfully written. . . . A mine of fascinating and surprising information about every aspect of the history of family limitation in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe."—Bernard Knox, New York Review of Books

"A formidably learned, ingenious, at times eloquent investigation. Professor Boswell is a young historian of rare force and originality."—George Steiner, New Yorker

"Bold, original and, very likely, controversial. . . . This is a pioneering work of large importance, the first to map out and explore a tangled, mysterious region of human experience."—Mary Martin McLaughlin, New York Times Book Review
</div>]]> 1988 4 0 false Sun Sep 28 09:40:39 -0700 2008 Sun Sep 28 09:40:39 -0700 2008 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=117802