The Lost Children of Wilder: The Epic Struggle to Change Foster Care.

• Position: Review

The history, politics, and drama of the New York City foster care system are chronicled in the 512 pages of The Lost Children of Wilder: The Epic Struggle to Change Foster Care, a nonfiction narrative by New York Times reporter Nina Bernstein.

The story focuses on a 1973 class action suit that came to be known as Wilder, which challenged the operation of New York City's foster-care system. Shirley Wilder, the named plaintiff, was an abused 13-year-old runaway who fell victim to discrimination. The system at the time was run by predominately Jewish and Catholic agencies, which were permitted by law to give preference to children of their own religious...