The Book Prize Index

The Broken Cord: A Family's Ongoing Struggle with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Michael Dorris

The controversial national bestseller that received unprecedented media attention, sparked the nation's interest in the plight of children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and touched a nerve in all of us. Winner of the 1989 National Book Critics Circle Award.

Society & CultureSociety & Culture · medium confidenceSociety & Culture153 signalsMemoir & Autobiography71 signalsBiography61 signalsOpen Library: Personal Narratives -> Memoir & AutobiographyOpen Library: Biography -> BiographyOpen Library: Psychology -> Medicine & Public HealthMedia, Journalism & Public OpinionFamily, Childhood & AdoptionClass, Poverty & Inequality

Award History

2 wins · 2 total

AwardYearResultCategory / Notes
National Book Critics Circle Award for NonfictionMajor1989WinnerSecondary source
Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize: Nonfiction1990WinnerSecondary source
View all award history (2)
Experimental book profileGenerated by GPT-5.4 nano · may contain inaccuracies

This is an unverified interpretation of the catalog description, offered as an opt-in discovery experiment—not as bibliographic fact.

  1. 01 Central figures

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

  2. 02 Central places

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

  3. 03 Suggested argument

    No argument inferred with sufficient confidence.

  4. 04 Reading orientation

    30 / 100 academic

    Serious trade

    An estimate of intended readership and scholarly apparatus—not quality or importance.

Confidence percentages are the model's own estimates. Profile confidence: 18%.