The Woman Who Sold Babies | The Cold Hard Hand | 4
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Jun 10, 2025
In the shadows of Memphis, Georgia Tann thrives in her black-market baby trading scheme, building a powerful empire. As health issues arise, so do cracks in her operation, revealing a mix of treachery and advocacy. A couple faces heart-wrenching choices against a backdrop of societal pressure in their pursuit of adoption. Whispers of child trafficking grow as activists push for justice. The final days of Tann unravel as legal challenges mount, exposing systemic failures and a legacy that impacts child welfare for generations.
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Parents Choose Sick Baby Against Advice
Harold Parker challenges Georgia Tann's judgment and chooses a sickly baby girl over a healthy boy.
Despite Tann's disapproval, the Parkers decide to adopt and invest $500 for the infant's care.
insights INSIGHT
Exempting TCHS From Oversight
The Tennessee Children's Home Society manipulated state law to avoid licensing and inspections.
This legal exemption allowed unchecked abuse and neglect at the facility.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Reporter Sees Secret Child Burial
A reporter witnesses a shadowy figure secretly burying a child at the TCHS home late at night.
Despite suspicions, he delays reporting the event for years, allowing more concealment of abuses.
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Home, before and after is Regina Spektor's eighth studio album, characterized by its concise sound and style. The album includes tracks like 'SugarMan,' 'Loveology,' and 'Spacetime Fairytale,' which showcase Spektor's vocal and songwriting skills. The album is praised for its lively vibes, fragile and potent vocals, and cinematic instrumentation. It maintains Spektor's signature anti-folk genre while offering radiant deliveries and emotionally engaging melodies.
The Baby Thief
The Untold Story of Georgia Tann, the Baby Seller Who Corrupted Adoption
Barbara Bisantz Raymond
The Baby Thief is a riveting narrative that exposes the crimes of Georgia Tann, who popularized adoption in the United States but did so through horrific means. Tann stole children from poor families, often using coercion, falsified records, and corruption within the legal and medical systems. Her actions led to the deaths of hundreds of children and left a lasting impact on American adoption laws. The book draws on true life stories from Tann's victims and their families, providing a detailed and emotionally charged account of her atrocities and their long-lasting effects.
As the 1940s draws to a close, Georgia Tann is still making thousands from her black-market baby ring. But although she’s been untouchable for the last two decades, a shift in Memphis’s political climate signals trouble.
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