{"product_id":"raised-by-the-church-edward-rohs-9780823240227","title":"Raised by the Church: Growing Up in New York City's Catholic Orphanages","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eA remarkable piece of American history that tells, through the story of one bright, mischievous orphan, the history of the Catholic orphanage system in New York in the nineteenth and twentieth century.\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 1946 \u003cstrong\u003eEdward Rohs was left by his unwed parents at the Angel Guardian Home\u003c\/strong\u003e to be raised by the Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters hoped that the parents would one day return for him. In time they married and had other children, but Ed's parents never came back for him. And they never signed the legal papers so he could be adopted by another family. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eRaised by the Church\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cstrong\u003echronicles the extraordinary life of Ed Rohs, a bright, mischievous boy who was raised in five institutions of the Catholic orphanage system in postwar Brooklyn\u003c\/strong\u003e, New York, from infancy in 1946 until he was discharged as an adult in 1965. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eRohs was one of thousands of children taken in by Catholic institutions during the tumultuous post-WWII years: \u003cstrong\u003eout-of-wedlock infants, children whose fathers had been killed in the war, and children of parents in crisis\u003c\/strong\u003e. Ed gives a brief history of each institution before describing that world--the Sisters and Brothers who raised him, the food, his companions, and the Catholic community that provided social and emotional support. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen Ed finally leaves the institution after nineteen years he has a difficult time adjusting. He slowly assimilates into \"normal\" life and determinedly rises above his origins, achieving an advanced degree and career success, working for years in child welfare and as volunteer strength coach for the Fordham University basketball team. He hides his upbringing out of shame and fear of others' pity. But as he begins to reflect on his own story and to talk to the people who raised him, \u003cstrong\u003e Ed begins to see a larger story intertwined with his own\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWith original research based on interviews with clergymen and nuns, archival data from the New York Archdiocese, and government records, \u003cem\u003eRaised by the Church\u003c\/em\u003e tells the social history of an era when hundreds of thousands of baby boomers passed through the orphanage system. \u003cstrong\u003eThrough the story of one man, this book gives us a much-needed historical perspective on an American society that understood and acknowledged the community's need for a safe haven\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Edward Rohs, Judith Estrine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0823240223\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780823240227\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Fordham University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/02\/2011\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 244\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.02lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.27h x 6.36w x 0.84d","brand":"Edward Rohs","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44128569884927,"sku":"9780823240227","price":33.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_b69103e0-d9e5-4731-8bff-a9477c62e417.jpg?v=1687459337","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/raised-by-the-church-edward-rohs-9780823240227","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}