Reviews (5)

Very Insightful!!
This book is extremely helpful in understanding how each side of the gay issue feels.As the parent of a gay teen, this book offered insight to the feelings and struggles of the teen.It equally shows the shock, concern and fears of the parent.If both gay teens, and parents, will read this book it will help close the gap of understanding.

Fantastic book to understand the emotions behind homosexuali
I learned a lot about the emotional struggles of a mother who is coming to grips with homosexual attractions of her son and her prayers that he can overcome these attractions. The book also shows the side of a gay friend of her son who believes her son was born that way and can't change. It shows both sides of this issue and the complexities of it. Heart-felt story of a mother and son and their struggles
This is a great story of the feelings of a mother who discovers her son has homosexual attractions. It shows her desire that her son overcome these feelings and the struggles of her son. It also shows the perspective of a gay friend of her son that doesn't believe the son needs to overcome these feelings. It is a record of e-mails between the mother and the friend.Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Homosexuality    5. Parents of gays    6. General & Literary Fiction   

Subjects:  1. Family    2. Family policy    3. Gay fathers    4. Gender Studies    5. General    6. Single-parent families    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. Sociology - Marriage & Family    10. Work and family    11. Family & relationships    12. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Subjects:  1. Lesbian mothers    2. Lesbians    3. Lesbians' writings, American    4. Literary collections    5. Parent and child   

Reviews (7)

A pleasure to read
Scott Peck is to be congratulated on a truly excellent piece of work. With a writing style that is surprisingly light, given the heavy, unpleasant subjects he is describing, he takes us through his life and details the problems gays growing up face, particularly in military families.
insulting, to say the least.
i admit, it was one of the most well-written books i have ever read. peck definately has a way with words (that's where the two stars come from). i just think he uses them for the wrong thing. one word that i can describe the book in is bitter. i could also add hateful, biast, judjemental, misleading... it made me angry and the only reason i read the whole dang thing is i kept thinking it might get better. he might actually open his eyes. fat chance. the whole book is one big complaint about his childhood and he runs over everybody in the process. and then all of a sudden at the end it gets all happy and touchy-feely and i can't figure out why. all he does is find any way he can to insult christians, giving himself excuses for his stupidity and making himself out to be God. i wouldn't be surprised if half of it was made up. and if it's not, this guy needs to find a better way to crucify people.

Gripping
Scott Peck has experienced a lot in his short life:abuse by hisstepfather, the death of his mother, rejection from his grandparents, and atumultuous (at best) relationship with his father.Throw in somecharismatic Christianity, a stint at Bible college, and the fact that he'sgay, and you've got a real story.Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Family relationships    5. Gay Studies    6. Gay men    7. Parents of gays    8. Social Science    9. Specific Groups - Male Gay Studies    10. United States   

Subjects:  1. Civil Procedure    2. Custody of children    3. Domestic Relations Law    4. Gay/Lesbian Nonfiction    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Legal status, laws, etc    7. Legal status, laws, etc.    8. Lesbian Studies    9. Lesbian mothers    10. Lesbians    11. Social Science    12. United States    13. Family law    14. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Subjects:  1. Biography/Autobiography    2. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    3. Family relationships    4. Gays    5. Interpersonal relations    6. Parent and child    7. Parenting - General    8. United States   

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Lesbian murderers    3. Lesbians    4. Mother and daughter    5. Relations with men   

Reviews (1)

An excellent, inciteful glimpse into a search for self.
This is one of those rare books that gets better with every turned page.It is a well written prose; intelligent and emotional, so keenly mirroring life as a professional lesbian mother.I cannot wait for another book from Ruthann Robson. If you like good writing, this is greatreading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Lesbian mothers    5. Lesbians    6. Popular American Fiction    7. Women lawyers   

Reviews (4)

One of my favorite books
I've read this book many times and I never get tired of the honesty and humor in it.Some books are not worth reading a second time, but I've found this one only gets better with repeated readings.Zesty...funny...hopeful...all those things.

It changes my life.
I read What It's Like To Live Now 2.5 years ago. I read it twice and some parts three times. great book
loved the book. it reminded me alot of my own life ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. California    5. Divorced mothers    6. General    7. Lesbian mothers    8. Lesbians    9. Motherhood    10. San Francisco    11. Women's Studies    12. Family & Relationships / Motherhood    13. Lesbian studies    14. Maran, Meredith   

Subjects:  1. Attitudes    2. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    3. Family relationships    4. Lesbians    5. Parenting - General    6. Parents of gays    7. Psychology    8. Sociology    9. United States   

Subjects:  1. Children of gay parents    2. Custody of children    3. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    4. Family Relationships    5. Gay parents    6. Lesbian mothers    7. United States   

Subjects:  1. Children of gay parents    2. Children's 12-Up - Family    3. Family - General    4. Gay parents    5. Gay/Lesbian Nonfiction    6. Juvenile literature    7. Parenting    8. Social Situations - Homosexuality    9. United States   

Reviews (3)

A touching story about an "alternative" family
Safe as Houses was a very enjoyable read for me. I was very touched by the love that two homosexual men have for their "family". In fact, this "alternative" family seemed to be more normal than the regular man-woman unit.

A beautifully written, wonderful book
Alex Jeffers' wonderful book is an idyll, perhaps a fantasy, certainly a 'blast of the trumpet' against the family values folks who cling to thestale notion that only mixed-gender households can know love or raisewell-adjusted kids. A wonderful, lyrical tale of life, love, and family.
Alex Jeffers has written a wonderful, lyrical tale of life, love, and family.The themes of the book -- deafness, gay parenthood, and illness --are interwoven with a quiet, warm story about two men struggling to build a faimly in a world which does not acknowledge their right to parenthood.Through the eyes of Allen, we watch his father and mother, both deaf, struggle to survive in a world which does not wish to accomodate them.Once Allen has grown up and moved away from home, he meets Jeremy, a tall, handsome man who is raising his son alone.Together, Jeremy and Allen strive too raise and protect Jeremy's son. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American First Novelists    2. Children of parents with disabilities    3. Domestic fiction    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. Gay men    7. General    8. Modern fiction   

Subjects:  1. African American women    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. General    5. Lesbians    6. Mothers and daughters    7. Popular American Fiction    8. Modern fiction   

Reviews (1)

The Case of the Missing Mother
Straight Rebecca lives with her lesbian mum and mum's girlfriend,�Mica,�an outspoken advocate for homosexual rights. The Pride Pack help Rebecca free her "other mother" when Mica is kidnapped by a homophobic groupout to silence her championship of AIDS education in schools. A lessself-conscious book than "Who Framed Lorenzo Garcia" (the firstin the Pride Pack series) and more lesbian focused. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books - Young Adult    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Fiction    4. Lesbians    5. Missing persons    6. Mothers and daughters    7. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    8. Gay & Lesbian studies   

Subjects:  1. (Ann Theresa),    2. (John Douglas),    3. 1943-    4. Anderson, John D    5. Biography    6. Edwards, Ann T    7. Gay teachers    8. Gays    9. Homosexuality    10. Parents of gays    11. United States   

Subjects:  1. Alternative Family    2. Gay Studies    3. Lesbian Studies    4. Parenting - Parent & Adult Child    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. Sociology - Marriage & Family    8. Gay & Lesbian studies    9. Marriage, family & other relationships    10. Parenthood   

Editorial Review

In her introduction to this timely and brave collection of essays, Jess Wells argues that queer parenting is well enough established that we can stand back as a community and offer a little constructive self-criticism. "Only after we secure a minimal amount of social stature," writes Wells, "are we able to realize that we've been painting a good face on our parenting and refusing to discuss our own mistakes because we've had to ward off the cultural assumption that we are all bad parents." The main controversy seems to be the rights and feelings of the nonbiological mother in a lesbian family. In the opening essay, "The Essential Outsider," Aimee Gelnaw describes the pain of exclusion from the principal mother-child bond, especially while a baby is still breast-feeding. In her interview with Kate Kendell, director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Sarah Schulman talks about that scourge of gay parenting, the biological mom who attempts to deny custody or visitation of a child to the nonbiological mom. One of these "lesbian villains" speaks out as well, under an assumed name, recounting her horror story of an abusive, manipulative partner to explain why she has denied her former partner access to their child. And at the close of the volume, Rachel Pepper discloses her reluctance to consider her partner a "mother" to her daughter Frances, and her resistance to second-parent adoption. Other issues include biracial families, transracial adoption, and the savage prejudices against transgendered parents. This bracing book should be read by every gay or lesbian parent (or those considering parenting), as well as the health care workers and therapists who counsel them. Read more

Reviews (1)

Groundbreaking.
I don't think this book has gotten the recognition it deserves. Jess Wells is a well-known writer and editor within the community, and this book of essays from glbt parents and activists dares to be controversial. It asks difficult but necessary questions and doesn't pretend to come up with easy answers. I hope Wells writes/edits more on this issue. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children of gay parents    2. Family & Relationships    3. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    4. Family/Marriage    5. Gay fathers    6. Gay parents    7. General    8. Lesbian Studies    9. Lesbian mothers    10. Multicultural Education    11. Parenting - General    12. United States    13. Advice on parenting    14. Gay & Lesbian studies    15. Family    16. Parenting   

Reviews (12)

"Pen," one of the previous reviewers, didn't read this book.
Honestly. Someone has a thirty year-old bone to pick with McLeod. Get over him, for goodness sake.

Great story, really bad writing
I had fun reading this book because I knew the author from years past.The writing was so bad it was distracting.But the story was entertaining and I kept on reading.I think this is the best of all his books.Unfortunately, it had the worst writing.

Vicious and Sensitive- A Sea of White Impatiens
There is a profound depth to this book which runs counter to the banality of growing up a in a rich New York suburb. The authorpunctures the mundane crust of this society and exhibits an awareness of its human beauty. It has a wistful poetry in its recollections that readers of Capote would appreciate. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction - General    2. Fiction / Family Saga    3. General    4. Family Saga    5. Fiction    6. Gay    7. Parents   

Reviews (1)

Great Story
This is a great story for kids that doesn't come across as teaching a lesson.Kids enjoy the humor behind the idea of a daddy machine. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Family    4. Family - Parents    5. Fiction    6. General    7. Homosexuality    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Lesbian mothers    10. Parent and child    11. Social Issues - Homosexuality    12. Fiction dealing with sexuality & relationships    13. Juvenile Fiction / General    14. Picture books    15. USA