Macie S. (Macie) reviewed Lesbian crossroads: Personal stories of lesbian struggles and triumphs on + 7 more book reviews
From the dustjacket:
"This book," writed Ruth Baetz in her introduction, "has been part of a search for my own identity and my own community. The idea for it came at a crisis point in my life, a painful space between endings and new beginnings. My marriage was over, and I had no idea what lay ahead."
Ruth had met her love in college and they had lived together for five years. Their marriage was unofficial, because they were both women. In those days Ruth didn't think of herself as a lesbian, but when her relationship with Maria ended and she began to turn to women for support, she knew she had to find out what it meant to be a lesbian in this society, and what it would mean for her.
As she struggled to learn about lesbians and began to identify herself to others as a lesbian, Ruth thought about the many other women who would go through this same painful experience alone. It was then that she made the decision to write Lesbian Crossroads. By bringing together in a book a group of lesbians who would share their experiences, she would provide an invaluable support for women who, like herself, were questioning and redifining their sexual identity.
Ruth interviewed over eighty women of varying ages and backgrounds and selected from those interviews the candid and personal stories that make up Lesbian Crossroads. Here she records the diverse experiences - both good and bad - of these women as they discovered their sexual identity and revealed it to others. To help readers with specific questions find answers quickly, she organized the interviews into chapters representing major concerns for lesbians, such as "Parents and Siblings," "Children," "School and Work." A lesbian considering coming out at work or a therapist facing a lesbian client can turn to the section needed for a variety of approaches. Also included are interviews with parents and siblings of some of the women who explain how they felt when they learned that their daughters or sisters were lesbians.
Designed to help lesbians and their families and friends understand and come to terms with the changes in their lives, Lesbian Crossroads also provides the general reader with an opportunity to learn about lesbians from lesbians themselves.
"This book," writed Ruth Baetz in her introduction, "has been part of a search for my own identity and my own community. The idea for it came at a crisis point in my life, a painful space between endings and new beginnings. My marriage was over, and I had no idea what lay ahead."
Ruth had met her love in college and they had lived together for five years. Their marriage was unofficial, because they were both women. In those days Ruth didn't think of herself as a lesbian, but when her relationship with Maria ended and she began to turn to women for support, she knew she had to find out what it meant to be a lesbian in this society, and what it would mean for her.
As she struggled to learn about lesbians and began to identify herself to others as a lesbian, Ruth thought about the many other women who would go through this same painful experience alone. It was then that she made the decision to write Lesbian Crossroads. By bringing together in a book a group of lesbians who would share their experiences, she would provide an invaluable support for women who, like herself, were questioning and redifining their sexual identity.
Ruth interviewed over eighty women of varying ages and backgrounds and selected from those interviews the candid and personal stories that make up Lesbian Crossroads. Here she records the diverse experiences - both good and bad - of these women as they discovered their sexual identity and revealed it to others. To help readers with specific questions find answers quickly, she organized the interviews into chapters representing major concerns for lesbians, such as "Parents and Siblings," "Children," "School and Work." A lesbian considering coming out at work or a therapist facing a lesbian client can turn to the section needed for a variety of approaches. Also included are interviews with parents and siblings of some of the women who explain how they felt when they learned that their daughters or sisters were lesbians.
Designed to help lesbians and their families and friends understand and come to terms with the changes in their lives, Lesbian Crossroads also provides the general reader with an opportunity to learn about lesbians from lesbians themselves.
