 An absolute treasure
Being bisexual and polyamory I was a tad sad that the bisexuals are hard to find in the book. Thus this is an excellent book for those who want personal insight into gay and lesbian families. Who want an honest and wonderful look at some fellow Americans and neighbors.The book is just over 250 pages and consists of wonderful first person interviews and awesome photography. But what I was so moved by and what I hope the reader pauses to read and seriously reflect on is the authors opening text "I have a thin stack of photographs from my fiftieth birthday party. This morning I've drawn them from a crumpled white envelope to look at them for the first time since that evening..." She then goes on to describe the photos which included her now grown sons and when they were ages seven and eight, and how the photo was taken just prior to her having to take them to her ex-husband who had "..wrested custody of them from me. He had had me declared an unfit mother, because I am a lesbian." How she saw them in her rearview mirror crying as she drove off..." This alone moved me to tears as it was and is such a profound note of how we have allowed the courts to treat people who stop lying and admit they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered or polyamory. Thus the book is born and the new life of openness and light is given to society. Look at the pictures and read the words you will see your neighbor, the aunt, uncle, sister, brother, friend. All hardworking and wonderful. Struggling with the same day to day issues every family struggles with. Professionals in law and medicine, engineering and academia. Blue collar and organic garden minded. All races, shapes and religions. It is also a wonderful life giving reminder that here in the United States, if you have a birth family who doesn't love you as you deserve, that you have every [darn] right to choose new family from those amongst your friends who will make you feel loved, wanted and needed. This is such a human right and needs to be said more often.
Very Interesting, Very Surprising
What I enjoyed about this book is that it covered not only the people like me (gay, male, plans to have children), but it also gave me an insight into some others who have very different lives but the same issues of "alternative-ness." It actually contained a few surprises and gave me some ideas about how a family could be built from things I'd never considered before.
fantastic
a look into the lives of different people. it makes one think that one in simular cercumstances is not alone.A infomative book that shows real people in real lives. well done!! It does need though, more family portrates of transgendered people. Im glad I waited over two monthes for this book.
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