The Other Mother

Carol Schaefer’s first book, a memoir entitled The Other Mother: A Woman’s Love for the Child She Gave Up for Adoption (SoHo Press, 1991), is considered a classic in adoption literature. The Other Mother is listed in 500 Great Books by Women, a Penguin Books Reader’s Guide, a list that goes back to the eleventh century. The book was a Literary Guild Alternative Selection and nominated as one of the Best Books of 1991 by the American Library Association. It has been translated into German and Italian. Adapted as a television movie by NBC in 1995, The Other Mother, starring Frances Fisher, scored high in the ratings with 25 million viewers. The story of the making of the movie was featured in McCall’s Magazine. Acquired by the Lifetime Channel, the movie aired many times from 2000 to 2008.The film is now available for viewing on Youtube. She has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC, and many local television and radio programs around the country and in Canada. As an Adoption Reform Advocate, she has often been a keynote speaker and given numerous workshops at adoption conferences since 1991. She has authored three other books, including Grandmothers Counsel the World, which has been translated into 12 languages. She also works as an editor, journalist and photographer. The sequel to The Other Mother is just completed.