{"product_id":"what-they-stole-a-familicide-rooted-in-intercountry-adoption-9781685970673","title":"What They Stole: A Familicide Rooted in Intercountry Adoption","description":"In 1955, following the devastation of the Korean War, Bertha and Harry Holt made headlines for adopting eight Korean children. Driven by evangelical convictions and emboldened by a special act of Congress, the couple founded the Holt Adoption Program, which would facilitate the migration of tens of thousands of Korean children to the United States over the following decades. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The Sueppels were among the families profoundly shaped by the legacy of the Holt Adoption Program. To their suburban Iowa City community, Steven and Sheryl Sueppel were kind and charitable, humble yet magnetic--seemingly ideal candidates to adopt. But in 2008, when Steven found himself facing federal embezzlement and money laundering charges, he murdered Sheryl and their adopted children before ending his own life. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Paige Towers traces the interwoven histories of the Holts and the Sueppels, exploring the deeper, often hidden complexities of intercountry adoption: the ethical gray zones, the influences of religion and race, and the global inequalities that made such large-scale child migration possible. Meticulously researched and sensitive with its storytelling, \u003ci\u003eWhat They Stole\u003c\/i\u003e examines how good intentions can coexist with systemic harm--and how the consequences of systems like the Holts' can reverberate across generations.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Paige Towers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Iowa Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/26\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 364\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.15lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 6.00w x 1.10d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781685970673\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePaige Towers\u003c\/b\u003e is author of \u003ci\u003eThe Sound of Undoing: A Memoir in Essays\u003c\/i\u003e. Her writing has appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eMcSweeney's\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eHarvard Review\u003c\/i\u003e. Originally from Iowa, Towers now lives along the Washington coast.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Paige Towers \/ Paperback \/ English","offer_id":48641391067293,"sku":"9781685970673","price":35.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_43e18c54-c4d9-4132-9fd4-24f1d031a61b.jpg?v=1784108238","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/what-they-stole-a-familicide-rooted-in-intercountry-adoption-9781685970673","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}