Relationships and families: advice, topics and issues Books

Book SynopsisFrom Couples and Pregnancy: Welcome, Unwelcome, and In-Between, therapists will gain valuable insight into the profound psychological effects that pregnancy and birth have on a couple''s relationship, especially on their experience of intimacy. However, as this unique book discusses, the nature of the impact on couples depends on the developmental stage of each person and the couple''s ability to adapt to new circumstances. This intelligent guide also examines the challenges that confront couples who must deal with unwelcome pregnancies. Couples and Pregnancy provides you with successful techniques that can easily be adopted into your practice, enabling you to effectively help couples who are challenged by the emotional and life-changing event of parenthood. Couples and Pregnancy addresses the psychological as well as the therapeutic issues as a consequence of abortion and offers you insight into how you can think out of the box about the emotional fallout from this issue. YoTrade Review"...provides practical guidance the therapists working with couples and individuals around issues of fertility. I would recommend this book to counselors, social workers, and psychologists..." - Gina Wong-Wylie, Ph.D., Journal of the Association for Research on Mothering"...provides practical guidance to therapists working with couples and individuals around issues of fertility. I would recommend this book to counselors, social workers, and psychologists..." - Gina Wong-Wylie, Ph.D., Journal for the Association for Research on MotheringTable of Contents We Are Only ActivatorsVirginia Satir and the Mystery of Human Life: A Reflection (edited by Barbara Jo Brothers) Pregnancy, Intimacy, and the Family Constitution (Andrew I. Schwebel) Infertility, Experientially Oriented Couples Therapy and Subsequent Pregnancy (Peggy J. Kleinplatz) Catastrophic Conditions in Couple Systems: Managing an Unwelcome Pregnancy (Barbara J. Lynch) When Your Client’s Baby Dies (Deborah E. Rich) Men and Post-Abortion Grief: Amendment, Resolution and Hope (E. Mark Stern) Of Breasts and Men: Three Generations of Vampire Coupling (Gerald Schoenewolf) Comment: Of Breasts and Men...and Use of Psychoanalytic Theory (Barbara Jo Brothers) Index Reference Notes Included

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Book SynopsisHere is a powerful look at gender issues in the criminal justice system, particularly as gender is related to sex offenses and the system''s response to those offenses. Experts examine inmate sexual aggression, gender disparity in bail setting, racial patterns of rape, the female offender''s adjustment to prison life, the psychological profile of female first offenders, and the self-image of juvenile prostitutes.Table of ContentsContents Inmate Sexual Aggression: Some Evolving Propositions, Empirical Findings, and Mitigating Counter-Forces Gender Disparity in the Setting of Bail: Prostitution Offenses in Buffalo, New York 1977–1979 The Female Offender’s Adjustment to Prison Life: A Comparison of Psychodidactic and Traditional Supportive Approaches to Treatment Evidence of Unidimensionality of Locus of Control in Women Prisoners: Implications for Prisoner Rehabilitation CB Radio Prostitution: Technology and the Displacement of Deviance A Comparison of Delinquent Prostitutes and Delinquent Non-Prostitutes on Self-Concept An Analysis of the Factors Related to the Rate of Violent Crimes Committed by Incarcerated Female Delinquents The Psychological Profile of the Female First Offender and the Recidivist: A Comparison Rape and Racial Patterns Rape: A Social Perspective Rape as Instrumental Violence: A Study of Youth Offenders

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisA grandmother''s love is truly something special. Nurturing, warm, and often shown through naughty treats, their love fuels our childhoods and should always be cherished.This tiny tome is the ultimate celebration of grandmothers and their love, with poignant quotes, fun facts and heartwarming reflections on the special place grandmothers have in our hearts. Whether a grandmother to one or many, it''s seen as one of the great joys in life, and this book is the ultimate way of showing our appreciation to grandmothers everywhere.

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Book Synopsis''Conjures up a world of pre-internet fun, a compendium of lost outdoor arts with an eclectic list of contributors'' The TimesTHIS IS YOUR MAP TO A MORE ADVENTUROUS, WILDER FUTURE. With contributions from: Bear Grylls on embracing adventure; Ed Stafford on flirting with danger; Sir Chris Hoy on riding bikes; Judy Murray on rainy day kitchen games; Michaela Strachan on creative word games; Gordon Buchanan on toasting marshmallows; Caroline Lucas on protecting the planet; Wayne Bridge on garden football; and many more.The ultimate handbook for raising WILDER, HAPPIER, MUDDIER, MORE RESILIENT kids - whatever the weather and wherever you live.In the last few years parents everywhere have realised how crucial the freedom of the outside world is, not only for their kids'' wellbeing, but the whole family''s. They''ve also realised, however, that it''s not always that easy.Trade ReviewFull of ideas to help us "rewild" our children . . . Wildlings conjures up a world of pre-internet fun, a compendium of lost outdoor arts [with] an eclectic list of contributors. * The Times *

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Book SynopsisYour kids are no longer babies, you''ve got some time to yourself again - things should be getting easier, so why do you still feel fatigued, flabby and infant-obsessed? The kids may be able to fasten their own seatbelts and pour their own cereal, but the homework, tucking in, car pools, and birthday parties have just begun. Let Vicki Iovine, show you how to navigate the twists and turns of family life - and find time for your kids, your spouse, your home, your work, and yourself. You''re not alone in this mommy adolescence. In The Girlfriends'' Guide to Getting Your Groove Back, Iovine provides her trademark sage, witty advice on: How to focus at work when things at home are in chaos - and vice versaMaking time for yourself - and not the PTA Getting over the romantic myth of date nights and weekends away from the kids:The S'' word: recapturing the sex-kitten within and keeping the home fires burning; the lowdown Iovine putTrade Review‘Funny, thought-provoking and, at last, a book just for you' * Junior Magazine *

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Book SynopsisRELATIONSHIPS ARE EVERYTHINGFew things promise greater happiness than our relationships - yet few things cause us more anxiety and stress.Happy Relationships delivers an expert programme that returns joy to any troubled relationship in your life, be it with a partner, colleague or loved one.Sam Owen, acclaimed life coach and speaker, calmly guides us through effective strategies for overcoming issues in our relationships, from the trigger points to the joyous moments. She offers solutions and practical advice on:How to establish a solid friendship foundationHow to communicate wellHow to nurture a close bondHow to nourish your well-being and self-worthHow to change bad relationship habits into good onesHow to solve your relationship problemsFrom arguments to intimacy, self-care to communication, this engaging and practical guide will ensure you only surround yourself with happy, healthy relationshi

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Book SynopsisA heart-warming standalone novel from bestseller Rebecca Shaw about the importance of family and being there for one another.Trade ReviewRebecca Shaw mixes all the ingredients for a winning novel of village life - The Times

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Book SynopsisChoosing Family: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance is a brilliant literary memoir of chosen family and chosen heritage, told against the backdrop of Chicago’s North and South Sides. As a multiracial household in Chicago’s North Side community of Rogers Park, race is at the core of Francesca T. Royster and her family’s world, influencing everyday acts of parenting and the conception of what family truly means. Like Maggie Nelson’s The Argonauts, this lyrical and affecting memoir focuses on a unit of three: the author; her wife, Annie, who’s white; and Cecilia, the Black daughter they adopt as a couple in their 40s and 50s. Choosing Family chronicles this journey to motherhood while examining the messiness and complexity of adoption and parenthood from a Black, queer, and feminist perspective. Royster also explores her memories of the matriarchs of her childhood and the homes these women created Trade Review“Affecting . . . Insightful and reflective, this is a moving tribute to the power of chosen family.” * Publishers Weekly *“Memorable and fluid, professor Francesca T. Royster’s memoir Choosing Family blends her family’s history with her story of adopting an infant girl, juxtaposing personal life with political life and allowing each to illuminate the other. . . . In the lyrical memoir, the personal and political unite in a queer, interracial couple’s celebration of choosing to adopt an infant.” * Foreword Reviews *“The book builds on an intergenerational lineage of powerful women whose strength Royster brings to her own mothering. . . . A potent love letter to community in all its forms.” * Kirkus Reviews *“[An] evocative, memorable memoir . . . This reflection on family dynamics is an important addition to reading material on queer parenting, motherhood, and racial dynamics in modern society.” * The Bay Area Reporter *“The latest book by Francesca Royster will have you Feeling. The. Love. This insightful memoir celebrates the author’s chosen family, which includes her white wife and their Black adopted daughter, and illustrates the ups and downs of adoption, parenthood and queer, interracial relationships.” * Ms. Magazine *“Francesca Royster’s moving memoir is a testament to creating the life and the family that you want . . . The book wonderfully illustrates that readers can give themselves permission to live life on their own terms and that family is what you make it.” * Sisters from AARP *“Choosing Family is a memoir as a chorus. Not only do we hear the stories of generations of Black people in Chicago, mothers and grandmothers, who fought to make their way in the world, but Royster shows us how she survived and thrived when her very being as a queer Black woman pushed her to the margins. It turns out that chosen families are the key, and the diversity, dignity, and care they provide save lives and make remarkable storytelling.” * Salamishah Tillet, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer and author of In Search of The Color Purple: The Story of an American Masterpiece *“Royster’s evocative and profound memoir will make you believe in love again. It will make you know that love—in its ethical, courageous, vulnerable, and committed forms—can lead us to freedom. And for that reason, this book is absolutely necessary and right on time. I’m grateful.” * Imani Perry, National Book Award–winning author of South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation *“In Choosing Family, Royster explores the rich legacies of queer connection, storytelling, and survival enacted by Black mothers. Eschewing dominant narratives of the nuclear family as an ideal, she joins her story with a chorus of others in the past. Her memoir reaches into history and beyond it to testify to the beautiful, varied, and profound traditions of Black love and family-making.” * Anna Malaika Tubbs, New York Times bestselling author of The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation *“This is the most beautiful love story I’ve read in a long time. Royster describes and cultivates a love that moves across generations, across loss, across doubt, across every social construct of separation [and] dwells in the lessons of the small and large revolutionary choices involved in being a daughter, a partner, an aunt, a community member, and a seeker.” * Alexis Pauline Gumbs, coeditor of Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front Lines *“A joyful and compassionate memoir. . . . A beautifully written work of personal reflection, Choosing Family is actually a guide to life for those of us who are interested in learning the meaning of resilience and finding happiness wherever we land.” * Emily Bernard, author of Black Is the Body: Stories from My Grandmother’s Time, My Mother’s Time, and Mine *“In this powerful, incisive, and deeply personal memoir, Royster explores the beauty and challenges of creating family and the tenets of community necessary to sustain and nurture said family. With precision and heart-wrenching details, she calls into question everything one thinks about generational wisdom, queerness, partnering, parenting, and the consummate fear and the proportional courage that shadow it all. I savored every word.” * Cheryl L. West, award-winning playwright of Fannie, Pullman Porter Blues, Before It Hits Home, and Jar the Floor *“In her memoir, Choosing Family, Royster places herself in conversation with both familial ancestors and intellectual muses in order to make an honest reckoning of her own experiences as a queer Black woman and an adoptive parent. Aptly named, this book highlights the power of choice, particularly when it comes to building family and community of all kinds, and making meaning that serves the future while honoring the past.” * Nishta J. Mehra, author of Brown White Black: An American Family at the Intersection of Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Religion *“DePaul University professor Francesca Royster provides a look at what family really means . . . Parenthood is complex, and readers will feel Royster’s anticipation, joy and deep love, along with her fear. Her writing style has a smooth cadence and makes you feel like you’re with her every step of the way as she raises her daughter in a family that is Black, queer and chosen.” * BookPage *

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Book Synopsis From Lane Moore, the critically acclaimed author of How to Be Alone, comes a searingly intimate yet wildly funny exploration of the frustrating, messy, and, at times, deeply joyful experience of learning how to make meaningful friendships as an adult. Part memoir, part self-help, You Will Find Your People uncovers the complex, frightening, and often vulnerable process of building real, healthy friendships and finally creating your chosen family. Lane Moore takes readers on a journey that examines and challenges the ideas of friendship we’ve seen in pop culture, answers every question you’ve ever had about friend breakups, and teaches us how to fearlessly ask for what we want in friendships once and for all. Full of Moore’s hilarious personal anecdotes, advice on how to identify your attachment style, and real tools to create better communication and boundaries, this book is your personal guide on how to heal from your

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Book SynopsisAmerican Fatherhood: A Cultural History traces changes in what it means to be a dad in America, from the 1960s through today. The book begins with an overview of fatherhood in America from the founding fathers through the 1950s and progresses to the role of fathers as they were encouraged to move beyond being simply providers to becoming more engaged parents, navigating complex and changing gender and family expectations.By tracing the story of fatherhood in the United States over the course of the last half-century, American Fatherhood reveals key insights that add to our understanding of American culture. The book argues that, for most of the twentieth century, male parents were urged to embrace the values and techniques of motherhood. In recent years, however, fathers have rejected this model in place of one that affirms and even celebrates their maleness and their relationships with their children. After decades of attempting to adopt the parenting styles of women, in other words, Trade ReviewSamuel (Death, American Style), a onetime 'confirmed bachelor' who became a father at age 55, examines the evolution of American fatherhood from the mid-1960s to current day in this well-researched book. Readers looking for poignant moments in parenting won't find it here. This is a (mostly) objective study of how fatherhood has changed as the roles of men—and women—have evolved. For example, in the 1970s, 'bachelor fathers,' single by divorce, were an oddity, and a father gaining custody of a child was notable. Using a wide array of resources, including popular magazines, books, and television shows, Samuel shows how fathers have moved past the 'invisible parent' stage of the 1980s into the 'fatherhood movement' of the 1990s, becoming more comfortable in their role as fathers without simply trying to emulate mothers. Samuel's assessment is often candid; he quotes several men who admit, in the words of one, that fatherhood 'might have been a mistake.' . . . [O]n the whole, this is a strong, educational, and informed resource. * Publishers Weekly *Samuel argues that since the 1960s, and especially over the past two decades, fatherhood in the US has undergone a dramatic, positive change. Fathers today demand and partake in a full share in raising the next generation. However, popular culture still depicts them in the media—especially in TV sitcoms and movies—as distant, incompetent, and unequal to their female partners. Reviewing the history of fatherhood, Samuel proceeds to juxtapose recent sociological research with the prevalent stereotypical fatherhood gleaned from the past. Currently, fathers assist in delivery, share household work, care for newborns, and are active in their children’s education. As women became the main breadwinners, fathers assumed mothers’ roles. Some even made the choice to become the main caregivers for their offspring, quitting their jobs and putting their careers on hold. Fathers contribute differently to their children’s development, and scholarship shows that their masculine approach benefits their children. However, 25 percent of families in the US are fatherless; notably, the African American underclass is disproportionally represented. Organizations were formed to reach and educate detached fathers, and Samuel suggests that the new fatherhood is inverted feminism. Summing Up: Recommended. All public and academic levels/libraries. * CHOICE *Lawrence R. Samuel's book presents an interesting overview of the various cultural dimensions of fatherhood since the 1960s. In broad strokes, he details the changing nature of fatherhood as it relates to other cultural phenomena in the United States. -- Catherine Richards Solomon, Quinnipiac UniversityA smart and provocative investigation of a hugely important topic. Lawrence R. Samuel has made a valuable contribution to our understanding of modern fatherhood. -- Sam Apple, author of American ParentLawrence Samuel’s American Fatherhood is a useful addition to the growing literature on the importance of fathers. I’m sure many readers will find it helpful and informative. -- Paul Raeburn, author of Do Fathers Matter? and Acquainted with the NightTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. America’s Newest Endangered Species 2. The New Fatherhood 3. The Daddytrack 4. The Role of a Lifetime 5. Manny Knows Best Conclusion Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAt least once in your life someone will say to you, I have cancer, and when she says the three words, you may struggle with a response. If a loved one or friend hasn't informed you of a cancer diagnosis, it's only a matter of time until they will. Every year fourteen million people worldwide learn they are living with or may die from this insidious illness. The uncertainty of cancer causes anxiety in those diagnosed and feelings of inadequacy in loved ones and friends who want to help. When someone says I have cancer, what will you say? More importantly, what will you do? In Loving, Supporting, and Caring for the Cancer Patient, readers will learn specific ways of going beyond the response I'm so sorry, and practical behaviors that will ease a loved one or friend's journey. They range from being specific immediately after a diagnosis, to honoring their loved one or friend at the moment of passing.Based on Stan Goldberg's own cancer journey, thirty years of counseling and coaching peoplTrade ReviewGoldberg dedicates his book to his granddaughter, saying that he hopes her generation 'will find [it] irrelevant and ask, ‘What was cancer, Grandpa?’' Until then, family members and friends of people diagnosed with the disease can use any of his 270 suggestions and principles for helpful behaviors that go beyond just saying, 'I’m so sorry.'.... [Many] are good reminders, such as supporting a loved one’s decision to stop life-extending treatment. Goldberg, a professor emeritus of communicative disorders at San Francisco State and a prolific author, draws heavily and wisely on his experience as a former hospice volunteer. For example, he notes that people often mistakenly think the need to communicate diminishes as people speak less as they approach death. Actually the reverse is true, he says. 'Silence in the dying is less a sign of not wishing to communicate and more a sign of uncertainty, fear, or regret.' He notes that 'dying is not about you' and advises people to grant forgiveness to loved ones who ask for it. Like his other recommendations, this one seems destined to help family members as well as terminal cancer patients feel better. * Booklist *What do you do if a close friend or family members confides to you, 'I have cancer' The news will no doubt knock your world off-kilter — as it did to your loved one’s world, but how can you find solid ground and be the rock of support through what’s to come? In his book, Loving, Supporting, and Caring for the Cancer Patient: A Guide to Caring, Compassion, and Courage, Stan Goldberg, a recognized expert in the area of cancer support, offers 266 suggestions that 'go beyond compassionate intent to helpful behaviors.' ... Goldberg’s valuable book reminds us that the best way to show compassion to our loved ones facing cancer is to show up, to speak from the heart, and to refrain from passing judgment. Essentially, it’s what each of us would want from our loved ones if the tables were turned. * Blogcritics *'Call me if you need anything.' When your friend shared her diagnosis, that was all you could think to say but, of course, she’ll never call because she has cancer and she needs more than six words. What to do? Read Loving, Supporting, and Caring for the Cancer Patient by Stan Goldberg, and learn what really helps.... While it’s true that libraries and bookstores are filled with volumes on cancer, what sets this one apart is that author Stan Goldberg not only works with end-stage cancer patients, but he was a cancer patient himself. That unique both-sides POV is what makes this book most helpful – that, and the fact that Goldberg leaves room for his readers to adjust their caregiving angles. You may note that his ideas are written as 'suggestions,' allowing for different situations and, indeed, different diseases. It’s nice, too, that small chapters are listed individually in the contents, which makes browsing easier. Loving, Supporting, and Caring for the Cancer Patient is one of those books you hope you’ll never need, but would be glad to have when you do. Finding it may be proactive. Owning it is a good call. * Naples Daily News *We often hear about people who are dealing with family members or dear friends who are undergoing cancer treatment. Not only does cancer affect the patient, but it affects everyone that surrounds the patient- both family and friends. It’s a hard concept to deal with. The diagnosis rocks the patient’s world and those surrounding the patient. The patient doesn’t quite know what to do — other than go through treatment– but family and friends often are unaware of or can’t figure out the best ways to assist that person. Talk about a situation where a guide or book would be so helpful for the patient to read as well as anyone/everyone surrounding that patient. Finally someone has written that book! Stan Goldberg, PHD, has an incredible resume/CV to his name that makes him the perfect author for his book: Loving, Supporting, and Caring for the Cancer Patient: A Guide to Communication, Compassion, and Courage. * LA-Story.com *It’s almost inevitable that eventually, you will hear 'I have cancer' from the lips of someone special in your life. Loving, Supporting and Caring for the Cancer Patient can help you provide a gracious, generous reply. * Energy Times *While it’s true that libraries and bookstores are filled with volumes on cancer, what sets this one apart is that author Stan Goldberg not only works with end-stage cancer patients, but he was a cancer patient himself. That unique both-sides POV is what makes this book most helpful – that, and the fact that Goldberg leaves room for his readers to adjust their caregiving angles. You may note that his ideas are written as 'suggestions,' allowing for different situations and, indeed, different diseases. It’s nice, too, that small chapters are listed individually in the contents, which makes browsing easier. Loving, Supporting, and Caring for the Cancer Patient is one of those books you hope you’ll never need, but you’ll glad to have when you do. Finding it may be proactive. Owning it is a good call. * The Clermont Sun *[Goldberg's] ability to describe difficult situations with accuracy and to provide appropriate suggestions on how to deal with sensitive topics, such as end-of-life decisions, will make this book invaluable to many readers. * Lancet *Simply stated, "Loving, Supporting, and Caring for the Cancer Patient: A Guide to Communication, Compassion, and Courage" should be on the Health/Medicine shelf of every community library in this country. Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, it is an ideal instruction manual and guide for the non-specialist general reader wanting to offer emotional support to family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers having to deal with cancer. * Midwest Book Review *Dr. Goldberg writes lucidly and compassionately about his personal life and his patients’ lives with cancer. He advocates an empowering attitude of adapting to cancer with vigorous treatment including alternative therapies rather than fearfully fighting a battle with anxiety and guilt that can result from its ups and downs. Everyone living with cancer will benefit from his ideas and advice. -- Jack C. Westman, M.D, M.S., author of The Cancer Solution: Taking Charge of Our Life with Cancer; Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthThis book offers simple but profound advice for caring for a loved one with cancer. It is a guide to the compassionate response we seek but are often at a loss to provide. It is rich with the wisdom needed to be present at life’s most difficult time. -- Betty Ferrell, PhD, MA, FAAN, FPCN, CHPN, Director, Division of Nursing Research and Education, City of HopeThis book is a must read for persons whose family member has cancer, as the author walks them through the experience from the time of diagnosis to bereavement, complete with many suggestions and illustrations that are truthful and useful. This book will help readers uncover the scary and complex process of the unknown, enabling them to fully embrace the possibility of living through the full course of the cancer journey wisely and compassionately. -- Youngmee Kim, Phd, University of Miami

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Book SynopsisOur Black Sons Matter is a powerful collection of original essays, letters, and poems that addresses both the deep joys and the very real challenges of raising black boys today. The book addresses painful trauma, challenges assumptions, and offers insights and hope through the deep bonds between mothers and their children.Trade ReviewFor mothers of black sons, the basic concerns of motherhood are compounded by worry about whether their sons will even survive to manhood. This collection gives voice to that concern as women (mostly, though not all black) from a range of ages, religions, and nationalities write of their hopes and fears for their black sons. The editors begin by discussing how the fear of young black men heightens the threat to their lives as they become objects of suspicion and violence, bloodshed that is often justified as protection of the broader, read white, society. In poems, letters, and essays, the contributors recount now-infamous cases from Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin and their own day-to-day encounters with the racism that threaten the lives of their sons. Many describe the transformation from their sons’ childhood cuteness to the 'threat' adolescents represent, others learn the hard lessons of racism as their adopted sons grow into young black men. One mother navigates the painful experience of her son suffering from depression and her concerns about a counselor who couldn’t see beyond his skin color. This collection offers powerful and thoughtful reflections on the impact of racism on black males and the women who witness and offer as much love and protection as they can. * Booklist, Starred Review *A poignant collection of thirty-two essays, poems, and letters from a diverse group of mothers raising black sons, biological and not. These women convey the fear, challenge, and joy of nurturing and loving children in a culture where violence against black bodies is normalized. Priority reading for understanding current forms of oppression because #BlackLivesMatter. * Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER) *Our Black Sons Matter honors black sons and loving mothers. Striking a blues note, testifying across racial, ethnic, religious, and national lines, devoted mothers lift up stories of hope and fear inherent in raising black sons in racist societies. Their stirring, tender pain harmonizes with tough, penetrating love, defiance, and resilient joy, as each page celebrates black sons’ uncompromising dignity and immeasurable value. A profoundly resonating soul call affirming black humanity, this compelling collection tells a poignant story demanding an equally audacious response. -- Kathy Glass, Duquesne UniversityThis rich volume has much to teach us about race, inequality, the burdens placed upon families called to explain to their young black children why they can’t expect fair treatment, and about whiteness—the lengths it will go to preserve its false innocence. The courageous stories, essays, letters, and poems collected here should move all who read them to do more to challenge the status quo in the United States, to change how we live together, so that mothers of black sons will know that their children will be seen by all as valuable and vulnerable equal human beings. -- Jill Stauffer, Associate Professor and Director of Peace, Justice and Human Rights, Haverford CollegeBefore I finished the last word of Our Black Sons Matter, two police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana murdered 37-year-old Alton Sterling. Captured on film, Sterling became another black son lost to death, engulfed by the unremitting onslaught that birthed this book. My mother’s voice is woven into each of these lines, my aunts, my sisters—so many mothers of black sons whose voices had been muted become vibrant here—with loss, with sadness, rage, hope. There is nothing more urgent than what they demand: safe passage. When Treasure Shields Redmond writes “why can’t a black boy born alive stay that way” in her elegy for Trayvon Martin, she articulates our question and our demand. This is the urgency that defines our time; the voices collected here make it obvious why that urgency matters. -- Reginald Dwayne Betts, author of A Question of FreedomTimely, reflective, and critically conscious, Our Black Sons Matter is a must-read for all concerned about the lives of Black boys and men. The voices in this anthology will strengthen the experience of all who fight for freedom and liberation on behalf of our Black sons. Without a doubt, the narratives in this collection evoke the collective unconscious. They sing of love and resistance, and they will remain pillars of counternarratives for all those who resist racioethnic oppression, hegemony, prejudice, and discrimination. Our Black Sons Matter is a necessary resource in the fight for our Black sons. -- Cherrel Miller Dyce, Elon UniversityThis collection transcends—and so should influence—the insights of pundits, politicians, policy makers, and police in their estimations of black males. Black sons matter, in part, because they are expressions of the political will and desires of mothering that demands the rights of children in a violent, unstable world. Bypassing both the demagogic and the wistful, Our Black Sons Matter weaves a “web to entangle the powers that bury” family and society. -- Joy James, author of Seeking the Beloved CommunityTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: For the Love of Our Sons, by George Yancy I: REFLECTIONS 1. Black Mother/Sons, by Sara Lomax-Reese 2. Once White in America, by Jane Lazarre 3. A Bottle of Mike Brown and Robin Williams, by Shelly Bell 4. Dark Radiance, by Becky Thompson and LaMar Delandro 5. Why Being the Lone Black Friend of Whites Will Not Protect You, by Noliwe Rooks 6. The Box,by Tracey Reed Armant 7. White Mama, Black Sons, by Heather Johnson 8. Watching and Waiting, by Nicole McJamerson 9. The Trouble I’ve Seen . . . and Why It Matters, by Meta G. Carstarphen 10. Inside/Outside, by Susan Hadley 11. Black and Blue: Stressing through to Dialogue, by Deborah Binkley-Jackson 12. A Black Jewish Boy Facing Manhood, by Jane Anna Gordon II: ESSAYS 13. Sacrificial Lambs : How Many Dead Bodies Is Enough?, by Carol E. Henderson 14. Reflections of Black Motherhood: Birthing Black Sons, by Linda D. Tomlinson 15. The War Within: Respect and the Predicament ofMothering Black Sons, by Newtona (Tina) Johnson 16. A Long Ways from Home?, by Michele Moody-Adams 17. T.H.U.G. (Talented, Humanistic, Unique, Gifted): Anthropology, Sentiments, and Narratives of Black Mothers and Sons, by Elisha Oliver 18. A Fierce Love: The Unique Process of Nurturing, Educating, and Protecting Our Black Sons, by Tracey McCants Lewis 19. Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, by Veronica T. Watson 20. Mothers and Their Black Sons: Struggling against Fears, Sorrows, and Hope, by Blanche Radford-Curry 21. Regarding Henry, by T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting III: POEMS 22. A Love Poem for Michael Brown, by Elisheba Johnson 23. Lamentations from a Black Mom, by Dyan Watson 24. for Trayvon, by Treasure Shields Redmond 25. News of You, My Son, by Sharyn Skeeter 26. Death Passes Twice, by Autumn Redcross IV: LETTERS 27. Dear William, by Gretchen Givens Generett 28. A Letter to CJ, by Regina Sims Wright 29. Killing/Saving/Loving Black Boys, by Karsonya Wise Whitehead 30. Anger, by Jacki Lynn Baynks 31. A Letter to Dr. King: Please Keep Breathing, by Maria del Guadalupe Davidson 32. A Letter to My Sons, by Dawn Herd-Clark Afterword by Farah Jasmine Griffin Notes Resources Index About the Contributors

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Book SynopsisWhy do some families work better than others? What are the ingredients for a fulfilling family life? In this wide-ranging and practical book, respected counsellor and agony aunt Suzie Hayman explains how you can make your family work, whatever stage of life you are in. This book is about you and your family - your development, your children''s development, your relationships not only with your partner and immediate family but with those who raised you and those you care for and about. We''ll be looking at the vital questions; How do children develop? How do families bond? How do our experiences as children help or hinder us later in life? What happens in your family of origin to give you and the best start and continuing opportunities, and how do those influences affect your ability to help your own children go on to thrive and develop? What are the issues that come up in everyday life between you and your family, and how may understanding why you behave and feel the way you

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Book SynopsisKelley Paul, wife of Senator Rand Paul, celebrates lifelong friendships in a beautifully illustrated book about the female bond. When Kelley Paul arrived on the Rhodes College campus in 1981, she immediately bonded with six women. Three decades of intimate friendship later, Kelley celebrates these relationships and the women who inspired them all. The extraordinary lives of Kelley''s and her friends'' role models--from the Southern matriarch to the poor Irish immigrant--are chronicled in this lovely book which offers oral history along with classic poetry, art, and photography. Throughout, Kelley explores the universal themes of hardship, determination, commitment, family, independence, optimism, friendship and love--and illuminates the power of the female bond that enriches all our lives.

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Book SynopsisKate Daniels is living every woman''s nightmare. Her fiance just left her for Kate''s little sister and now, adding insult to injury, Kate has been asked to be the maid of honor and wedding planner at her best friend''s wedding. The wedding of Kate''s dreams may have imploded, but she''s determined to make her best friend''s special day go off without a hitch...at least until one very stubborn--and sexy--best man shows up in Misty Point determined to ruin everything.What begins as an ordeal to survive turns into the craziest, most exciting--and romantic--week of Kate''s life. And when her sister arrives unxpectedly, asking for forgiveness, Kate will learn the power of second chances--and how tight those familial ties that bind can be.

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Book SynopsisAmbitious and confident, almost-30-year-old Joi-Marie refuses to believe the gloomy statistics on single women marrying and hilariously questions when the marriage deck became stacked against women like her. But, feeling the pressure to wed, Joi-Marie decides to play the engagement game a five-step process handed down by her older married sister.When she slowly becomes a person she doesn''t recognize, or even like, Joi-Marie ends up finding the true key to unlocking love-herself.Joi-Marie reveals--often with laugh out loud humor--the deeply personal thoughts and feelings many single women dare say out loud. Written almost like a novel, Joi-Marie takes readers on her raw journey to inner growth--without giving up on the idea of marriage.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most devastating aspects of addiction is the damage it causes to relationships--with intimate partners, family, friends, or colleagues. But recovery programs often recommend that you focus solely on sobriety and donât emphasize the need to rebuild relationships. Psychologist and addictions expert Kelly Green wants to change that. Through her work with hundreds of clients, Dr. Green has learned that social support is key to the recovery process. This compassionate, judgment-free guide shares powerful tools you can use to recognize the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships, set and maintain boundaries, reestablish emotional intimacy, communicate your feelings and needs, and end harmful relationships respectfully. With inspiring stories and easy-to-use worksheets (you can download and print additional copies as needed), this book lights the way to a life untethered from addiction--and filled with positive connectionsTrade Review"One of the most important parts of recovery is reconnecting with other people. Drawing on many years of experience, Dr. Green helps you explore your emotions and assumptions about relationships, build healthy connections, and break free of toxic ones. The book is filled with sensitive and insightful exercises, information, and strategies. Everyone in recovery should take this workbook along on the journey!"--Carlo C. DiClemente, PhD, ABPP, coauthor of Changing for Good "This excellent workbook provides evidence-based tools and tips to help you recover relationships as part of your recovery journey. What I love most about this book is the flexibility to pursue a range of different goals and the challenging of many myths about addiction and the recovery process. Dr. Green’s compassionate and caring approach is likely to help many people who are seeking to change."--Katie Witkiewitz, PhD, Regents’ Professor of Psychology, University of New Mexico "I isolated myself for a long time due to severe alcohol dependency--and this workbook shed light on relationship recovery skills that I hadn’t even considered. The exercises in each chapter promote deep self-reflection and help you take action for personal growth. The chapter on emotional intimacy was the most useful information I’ve read so far in my recovery journey. For anyone looking to create more meaningful relationships--both new and old--this workbook is for you."--J.W., Dallas, Texas-Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Getting Started 2. Understanding the Interplay between Relationships, Addiction, and Recovery Efforts 3. Identifying Barriers to Working on Relationships and Staying Motivated 4. Exploring the Unhealthy and Healthy Aspects of Your Relationships 5. Developing Your Communication Skills 6. Providing and Seeking Validation 7. Being Honest with Yourself and Others 8. Rebuilding Trust 9. Setting and Maintaining Healthy Boundaries 10. Ending Relationships Appropriately 11. Building Emotional Intimacy 12. Monitoring Your Relationships and Relationship Skills Resources Index

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Book SynopsisA love that lasts is all about choosing to stay connected.Struggling with your relationship is normal. Many of us lash out at our partner, we blame them when things go wrong, and we fear rejection, criticism and failure. So how do you get back the kindness and connection that once made you both so close?In The Lasting Connection, clinical psychologist and couples therapist Michaela Thomas explains her Pause-Purpose-Play method for strengthening the connection between couples through brain science, mindfulness, compassion, values and playfulness.Learn how: - To build a stronger foundation for your relationship- To soothe yourself to make everyday interactions smoother- Past experiences may be influencing your current situation- To be more compassionate with yourself and your partner- To deepen your connection with the one you loveAre you ready to start on the first chapter of your new story together?Trade Review'In The Lasting Connection, Michaela Thomas guides us, with wisdom and heart, towards more compassion for our partners and ourselves. With a perfect blend of science, exercises and storytelling, this is a book I'll return to again and again for keeping my relationship strong' - Chloe Brotheridge, author of The Anxiety Solution'Relationships are wonderful, but can also bring great distress and pain. In this wonderfully helpful and timely book, Michaela Thomas guides the reader through developing more compassion for ourselves and others can be the bedrock upon which couples can build a healthy, happy, lasting connection together. Highly recommended' - Chris Irons, clinical psychologist and author of The Compassionate Mind Workbook'This book will change lives. COVID has had such an impact on relationships and this book provides really valuable and important guidance for people who might not otherwise feel they have the confidence to push for counselling or therapy' Anya Hayes, author of The Supermum Myth'This is a magnificent, powerful and nurturing book - a catalyst for good! Whether you're looking to strengthen your bonds, repair your relationship, make sense of disconnection or end a relationship with compassion, this book is for you. Michaela tenderly and expertly offers us a road map to connection and understanding in a relationship. Her suggestions are inspiring, practical and relatable while being anchored in theory. I highly recommend this healing resource to you' - Suzy Reading, psychologist and author of Self-Care for Tough Times'Captures the essence of what it means to have a healthy and loving relationship and is a must read for any individual wanting to create a secure partnership. This book will help you understand your flammability in your relationship and how to create compassion for yourself and your partner - two key pieces that we must have in our relationships. I will continue to recommend this over and over again to couples' - Dr. Tracy Dalgleish, Clinical Psychologist and Couples Therapist

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Book SynopsisWhen Amy Nickell left university, she managed to nab herself a real life paid job as a celebrity reporter in London town. She literally got paid to ask Robert Downey Junior out for Nando''s, while living with her gay best friend, their Harry Styles cardboard cutout and their pet toad, Snoop Frog, and drank prosecco way before it was in fashion. Things were good, they were fun, they definitely weren''t serious. However, that life took a very grown up, very serious detour when Amy found herself expecting the unexpected and pregnant age 24. Pregnant and without a boyfriend. And so her life took on an altogether new direction...Here in Confessions of a Single Mum, Amy debunks single mum myths, delves into the world of dating (nothing ruins sexy sofa snogging ambience like the watchful eye of Daddy Pig), going back to work just ten days after giving birth, lactating WAY too close to Simon Cowell, as well answering the questions that come with having a family t

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Book SynopsisSunday Times top ten bestseller Dadlife is real life parenting through the eyes of a modern day dad by Simon Hooper, aka Instagram's Father of Daughters

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Book SynopsisTwo couples. One reckless night.''Secrets and lies have a nasty habit of coming out at the least appropriate time . . . moving, thought-provoking and beautifully written'' Daily Mail''Engaging . . . an incredibly emotional story'' The Book Bag''We love this novel and didn''t see the ending coming. . .''Closer**************Sally, Al and Mike have known each other for twenty years. Now approaching their fortieth birthdays, life has proven more unpredictable than they could have imagined. But despite the disappointments, heartaches and regrets, their friendship has endured.And now there is Faye, Mike''s new girlfriend - still in her twenties, carefree and uninhibited. She reminds the friends of their younger selves, of old loves and missed chances.Maybe Faye influenced what happened next? Why they did what they did. Whatever the reasons, one reckless night is about to Trade ReviewPraise for FOUR * : *Andy Jones continues to be one of my favourite authors * Bella Magazine *We loved this novel and didn't see the ending coming. . . * Closer *This is [Andy's] best and most mature yet . . . superbly written -- Jon RanceWhat happens the morning after the night before, when the night before was when you did the most reckless thing of your life? I loved Andy Jones's stylish portrayal of four people who make way too much history in one night, and just couldn't put it down until I found out the fate of each of them -- Catherine IsaacPraise for Andy Jones * : *Huge-hearted, snort-your-tea funny, and completely life-affirming -- Miranda Dickinson on GIRL 99The Two of Us is a charming, honest and heart-breaking novel about life, love, and the importance of taking neither one for granted * Good Housekeeping *Beautifully written and wonderfully engaging. I loved it * Daily Mail on THE TWO OF US *Honest, gripping, bittersweet and very funny -- Jenny Colgan on THE TWO OF US

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Book SynopsisKara Lawler and Regan Long invite readers to join their tribe of mothers and be encouraged, uplifted and inspired on their parenting journey.In A LETTER FOR EVERY MOTHER, authors Kara Lawler and Regan Long have written a heartwarming compilation of letters addressed to mothers from all walks of life, meant to celebrate, inspire and commiserate with all stages of the parenting journey. This book will encourage, inspire and uplift mothers from all walks of life.Kara and Regan invite readers to join their tribe of mothers, to learn from one another and band together to face one of the hardest jobs in the world: becoming and being someone''s mother. Their mission is to inspire and to create a community through this book to remind mothers that we''re all in this together-an especially welcome message in the current atmosphere of competition and anxiety of parenting.A LETTER FOR EVERY MOTHER is warm, inviting, inclusive-and the tone is inspirat

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Book SynopsisIn this masterful collection of new essays, the apple looks at the tree. Twenty-five writers deftly explore a trait they've inherited from a parent, reflecting on how it affects the lives they lead today - how it shifts their relationship to that parent (sometimes posthumously) and to their sense of self.Trade Review"Apple, Tree is a sweet, smart collection, and—it has to be said—a perfect gift for a parent you love."—Lily Meyer, NPR"These essays, in addition to being resonant in their own right, will also move readers to recollect stories of their own parents."—Publishers Weekly, starred review"Funderburg, who has explored her own parents and background in her memoir "Pig Candy," here gathers pieces from writers about a trait they've inherited from a mother or father. Ann Patchett, Daniel Mendelsohn and Laura van den Berg, among others, meditate on how attributes both physical and spiritual tie us to and distance us from our elders."—Bethanne Patrick, Washington Post"Undoubtedly, parents influence us more deeply and irrevocably than any other people in our lives. The apple, after all, doesn't fall very far from the tree. This topic is given its rich and thoughtful due in Apple, Tree: Writers on Their Parents, an engrossing anthology of 25 delightfully diverse personal essays."—Laurie Hertzel, (Minneapolis) Star Tribune"Lise Funderburg has collected diverse stories of parenthood and childhood, of love, loss, and remembrance. Apple, Tree is the perfect collection for anyone who has ever considered what legacies parents leave to their children."—Hannah Straton, Hippocampus Magazine"Apple, Tree provides a thoughtful meditation on individuals' connections to heritage and legacy."—Elisabeth Woronzoff, Pop Matters“Apple, Tree is an unflinching exploration of the complicated geography of families. At once heartfelt and searching, these affecting stories remind us that parental likenesses once shunned can surprise, move, and reconnect us in unexpected ways.”—Andrea Barnet, author of Visionary Women: How Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall, and Alice Waters Changed Our WorldTable of ContentsIntroduction Lise Funderburg Predictions Laura van den Berg Curtains Sallie Tisdale Lies My Parents (Never but Maybe Should’ve) Told Me Shukree Hassan Tilghman Better Angels Clifford Thompson The Only Light We’ve Got Angelique Stevens Household Idols Avi Steinberg Just Say the Word Lizzie Skurnick All Knotted Up Dana Prescott Sisters Ann Patchett One Man’s Poison Kyoko Mori Unlived Lives Laura Miller A Measure of Perversity Marc Mewshaw Off, Off, Off, Off, Off Daniel Mendelsohn What We Keep Donna Masini My Story about My Mother Mat Johnson Never Have Just One Boss Susan Ito Spending the Sparkle Jane Hamilton Around the Table Lauren Grodstein This Truth about Chaos John Freeman No Indifferent Place Carolyn Ferrell And Niriko Makes Four Lolis Eric Elie Fragments from the Long Game Kate Carroll de Gutes Self-Made Men Leland Cheuk The Nut Doesn’t Fall Far from the Fucking Nut Tree S. Bear Bergman The Feeding Gene Karen Grigsby Bates Acknowledgments Contributors

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Book SynopsisWas he thinking, do I have to be this kind of boy to survive? Is this what being a boy is?As a boy growing up on the south coast of England, Howard Cunnell's sense of self was dominated by his father's absence. Now, years later, he is a father, and his daughter is becoming his son.Starting with his own childhood in the Sussex beachlands, Howard tells the story of the years of self-destruction that defined his young adulthood and the escape he found in reading and the natural world. Still he felt compelled to destroy the relationships that mattered to him.Saved by love and responsibility, Cunnell charts his journey from anger to compassion, as his daughter Jay realizes he is a boy, and a son.Most of all, this is a story about love - its necessity and fragility, and its unequalled capacity to enable us to be who we are.Deeply thoughtful, searingly honest and exquisitely lyrical, Fathers & Sons is an exploration of fatherhood, masculinity, authenticity and family.Trade ReviewThere is so much aching love in this book, such pain and beauty. Behold, and rejoice -- Tim Winton, author of CloudstreetThis book tells the story of how family is made. It tells it frankly, unexpectedly and in such a way that both family and expectations are rewritten and renewed. I couldn't put it down. Bold, brave, beautiful - much more than biology. This is life itself. -- Jackie Kay, author of Red Dust RoadA miracle of a book: sad, wise, strong and hopeful, its depiction of parenthood will stay with me for a long time -- Sunjeev Sahota, author of The Year of the Runaways Fathers and Sons is a beautiful, moving, and marvellously honest book. I relished its resolutely masculine point of view, especially on such a subject, and the tenderness and sensuality with which Cunnell depicts child-rearing. -- Kate Clanchy, author of Antigona and MeWith Fathers & Sons, Howard Cunnell rips himself apart and reminds us what true artists do with all the mistakes they've ever made. They turn them into art. Dazzling and memorable, here is a strong and moving mosaic depicting the wayward mystery of our souls -- Austin Collings, author of The Myth of Brilliant SummersHoward Cunnell has forged from the most painful of raw materials a modern masterpiece of fiction. . . The lonelieness of a boy who never knew his father, Jason, who in turn became a father to Jay, a boy trapped in the wrong female body. Their journeys are rendered in prose as exquisite as the spaces of sea, sun and freedom Cunnell always chased for salvation and worked so hard to describe, finally finding himself and that redemption in the gift that was denied to him: being a father to a son -- Cathi Unsworth, author of WeirdoCunnell's memoir Father and Sons explores what it is to come from a family, what it is to start one, and what it is to raise one. It explores what we do to each other within that embrace, bad and good, and what we can do better, even while we fail. Cunnell's memoir is cast in light, and water, and bodies. It is a memoir burnished with love and goodwill. It will leave you watching the world differently -- Naomi Wood, author of Mrs. HemingwayA riveting work, remarkable and beautifully written, Fathers & Sons takes you to utterly unexpected places. -- Chris Salewicz, Redemption Song: The Definitive Biography of Joe StrummerJumping with beautiful compression through decades, handsomely written, honest and deeply moving, Cunnell's remarkable memoir is a work of guts, grit, and love. -- Richard House, author of The KillsI admire Cunnell's eye, his precise notation of light and water, whether in Mexico or Brixton, and the emotional commitment of his book. There is a resilience here that is on intimate terms with powerlessness. -- Adam Mars-JonesEssential reading. Agonisingly beautiful and honest. One man's uncompromising testament to love. -- Sarah Winman, author of When God Was A RabbitSpell-binding, life force of a memoir . . . For this book is all kinds of exceptional: an urgent, agonising exploration of fatherhood, masculinity and family; a testament to the power of the written word to reach out to us in dark times; and, above all, a hymn to the "shaping axe" of human love: motherly love, sibling love, erotic love, and ultimately, the transcending love of a father for a child, his in all but biology. And how, fragile as it may sometimes seem, that love can conquer a whole sea of strife. -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller *This spellbinding life force of a memoir... In a little over 200 pages, this book manages to be all kinds of exceptional: an urgent, agonising exploration of fatherhood, masculinity and family and a testament to the power of the written word to reach out to us in dark times. Above all, it is a hymn to the 'shaping axe' of human love: motherly love, sibling love, erotic love and, ultimately, the transcending love of a father for a child, his in all but biology. Fragile as it may sometimes seem, love can conquer a whole sea of strife. * Daily Express *Truly heart-stopping writing: a unique and hard-won perspective unfolded in lucid and unforgettable prose * Financial Times *This tender yet hard-boiled memoir is a searing exploration of parenting and gender-creation…Cunnell deserves the accolades he will receive for his book’s painterly, masculine honesty * Socialist Review *It is one of the most good-hearted, big-souled books I’ve read, a memoir about what it means to be a man, but more importantly what it means to be a parent. I don’t cry easily, but I read the final pages through a luminous wash of tears. -- Alex Preston * Guardian *Dazzlingly beautiful...this is truly heart-stopping writing * Financial Times *Artfully written, a meditation as much as a memoir, the fragments of his life presented with a novelist’s eye for detail and language ... images of brightness, of sun and shadow, make a prism of the book. Narrow ideas of what makes a father, what makes a son, are opened out into a rainbow of possibilities. * New Statesman *A moving account of the unpredictable forms of parenthood and childhood across three generations. -- Rowan Moore, books of the summer * Observer *In a publishing year packed with brilliant writing, nothing stopped my heart quite like Howard Cunnell’s Fathers & Sons. A fragmentary but utterly lucid multigenerational memoir in which the experience of fatherhood and the demands of masculinity are delicately parsed from all possible angles, it stood out for me for the extraordinary quality of Cunnell’s prose: glancing, agile, heartsore, preternaturally perceptive and above all, tender. A unique, and uniquely beautiful, book. -- Melissa Harrison Author of At Hawthorn Time

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Book SynopsisDriven by curiosity and possibility, writer Bella Pollen has always maintained a double life, navigating between a fierce love of family and the yearning for escape until one day, a strange encounter changes everything . . .What does it take to work out who you really are and where you truly belong? From mafia-in-laws to fashion failures to neighbours from hell, Pollen’s search for answers is a dazzling and powerful odyssey through the conflicting desires and roles of women in today’s confusing world. Interwoven with passages of graphic art by award-winning illustrator Kate Boxer, Meet Me in the In-between is a renegade memoir that takes readers all over the world before bringing them back home again.Trade ReviewBella Pollen creates magic * Vanity Fair *A writer you need to read -- A. A. GillPollen captivatingly mixes graphics with prose to tell of her upbringing, swinging back and forth between binaries (transatlantic homes, riches-to-rags love affairs). Think Eat, Pray, Love - finding yourself, laughing, and taking what you need even when it's not what you wanted - only cooler * Marie Claire *Frequently disturbing, often very funny. Pollen has a gift for playing with her readers, teasing them, shocking them, having fun with their assumptions before shaking them out of their complacency to reveal underlying and often very moving profundities. The intimacy of Pollen’s prose invites inclusion into the most private conversations she has with herself, her self-mocking humour rippling through . . . unforgettable. * Daily Telegraph *How to know who you truly are and what you can become? With nothing firmly underfoot, Pollen pursues a quest for authenticity through unconventional and unpredictable encounters and thrives. Hers is a memoir of an indelible life full of incredible adventures. * Booklist *Funny, risky, racy, stunningly visual, and beyond poignant, Bella Pollen’s offbeat memoir is a one-of-a-kind adventure start to finish. * Jenny McPhee, author of ‘The Centre of Things' and 'A Man of No Moon' *Pollen is an engagingly contradictory tangle . . . but it’s her propulsive push-pull relationship with home that’s sure to resonate especially sharply with women . . . Poignant, beautifully written, an idiosyncratic memoir * Mail on Sunday *Captivating * Tatler *Meet me in the In-between is as off-beat as its author, blending memoir with beguiling and graphic novelistic interludes . . . A journey that buzzes and sparks with life and wit * The Lady *Brava . . . Pollen’s account of bohemian family life and outrageous mafia-in-laws is funny, poignant and acute * The Spectator *Meet Me in the In-Between displays the disjointedness of a life, how whims and flings don’t make existence—or a woman—any less meaningful. It’s in the spaces among all these things that something magical breathes and resists capture. As Pollen illustrates in her sharp, nearly wry voice, it is not our memories that will lead us to an understanding of the self, but the act of maneuvering among them * The San Francisco Journal of Arts and Letter *A rollicking memoir of the novelist’s double life and her demons * Women’s Wear Daily USA *A whimsical and at times very funny style. Pollen has a real talent for recreating scenes, characters and dialogue * Nudge *Funny, startling and unexpectedly poignant * The New Statesman *Pollen has a way with caustic description that evinces a love for the evocative qualities of language . . . From the beginning (she) revels in a self-absorption that should be off-putting, but her clever way with words is so self –deprecating that she is immediately likeable * Santa Fe New Mexican *A contemporary memoir should be honest, entertaining and bursting with life. Bella Pollen's Meet Me in the In-Between is all of this, and more: a work of art. * Robert McCrum *Thank god this brilliant writer has had such a brilliant life * Ruby Wax *

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