Finding Karen Black

Roots Become Wings

By: Diane Bay

Narrated by: Christina Delaine

A delightful, poignant story that begins with the unexpected discovery of a famous birth mother.

Finalist for N. N. Light's 2022 Memoir of the Year.

Hollywood actress Karen Black gave up a newborn daughter to adoption in 1959. For five decades, they knew nothing about each other. But strict adoption laws could not break their mother-daughter bond.

When the state finally opened the sealed records, Diane was amazed to discover that her birth mother was the actor whose unconventional beauty had captured the zeitgeist of the ’60s and ’70s cinema. Karen starred in some of the decades’ prominent films, including Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Airport 1975, and many more.

Their reunion was healing, bittersweet, and came at a pivotal moment: Karen was battling cancer.

Finding Karen Black: Roots Become Wings takes the listener on an inspiring journey from childhood longing to dream fulfilled, and from the first moments of a joyful reunion through a year of discovery, loss, and renewal. This remarkable story is a testament to the power of the mother-child bond, the importance of our roots, and the belief that love lasts forever.

©2022 Diane Bay (P)2023 Diane Bay