When Philomena Lee became pregnant as an unwed teenager in 1950s Ireland, she was sent to a convent for "fallen women," where she did manual labor for three years before being forced to sign away her parental rights. Her son, Anthony, was then offered for adoption to an American couple in exchange for significant donations to the Catholic Church. His new parents renamed him Michael Hess; he grew up to become a Republican lawyer, serving as chief legal counsel during the George H.W. Bush administration.
Originally published in 2009 as The Lost Son of Philomena Lee, Martin Sixsmith's Philomena draws on interviews and documents to tell the story of Lee and her son and the Irish Catholic Church's profiteering from forced adoptions to American families. Sixsmith then reconstructs the American life of Michael Hess, who grew up uncertain of his self-worth and his right to be happy. Michael spent years questioning his sexuality, his role in the government and his place in his family as he tried in vain to locate his mother in Ireland. Philomena can at times feel bogged down by these details, leaving readers wondering where Lee has gone in the midst of Michael's story. When it finds its focus, however, it is a powerful testament to the strength of the bond between mother and child. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm