Conversations 'Come to orgy, wife wrote to friend': discovering the truth behind why I was adopted
Feb 4, 2026
Saul Eslake, Australian economist and author, shares his decades-long search into his adoption and family history. He uncovers scandalous divorce records, delayed adoption paperwork and a tabloid headline that reshaped his past. He reconnects with half-siblings, traces his biological father and reflects on how surprising family truths changed his sense of identity.
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Adopting Revealed His Own Origins
- Saul Eslake and his wife adopted a daughter from an orphanage in Shenyang, China, which revealed emotional neglect despite adequate physical care.
- That experience prompted Saul to investigate his own adoption and biological family ties.
Records Unlock Family Mysteries
- Saul used genealogical methods and agency records to trace his original birth certificate and adoption agency in London.
- Access to records and a social-worker-mediated file disclosure unlocked the deeper family story hidden for decades.
Tabloid Headline Led The Trail
- Saul found 1950s tabloid articles from his biological parents' divorce, including a headline: “Come to orgy, wife said to friend.”
- The articles narrated Margaret's affairs and the salacious court battle that surrounded Saul's birth.