Love Ruins Everything [Paperback]

Karen X. Tulchinsky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 2002

When Nomi Rabinovich is dumped by her girlfriend - for a man, she plots revenge and swears off love forever. But when her mother announces re-marriage, Nomi travels to see her family. Not only Jewish family traditions but also gay (male) politics enlarge the plot before love breaks out again.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When Nomi Rabinovitch's femme girlfriend leaves her for a man, Nomi seeks solace in watching schmaltzy videos at a friend's place, working her shift as a bartender at a neighborhood pub in San Francisco, and trying to talk her way out of wearing a dress at her mother's second wedding. But going to Mom's marriage in Toronto is just the ticket for this Canadian expatriate. Back home, Nomi runs into former crush Julie and sparks ensue. Then Nomi learns that her cousin Henry has been beaten up. It's not just a horrific case of fag bashing, but a specific hit to keep Henry from breaking a news story about the origins of HIV. Love Ruins Everything, Tulchinsky's first novel, shifts seamlessly from comic romance to political thriller and remains a page-turner throughout.

From Publishers Weekly

Heartbreak, romance, family and biotech intrigue combine in this spirited first novel by short-story writer Tulchinsky (In Her Nature). Young lesbian Nomi Rabinovitch is living in San Francisco when her lover unexpectedly dumps her for a burly, buzzcut man. While Nomi is recovering from her broken heart, her widowed mother calls and summons her to Toronto to attend her sudden second wedding. There, Nomi is reunited with both a long-lost crush and her beloved gay cousin, both of whom are involved in a plot to publicize "proof" that the American government created the AIDS virus as a biochemical weapon. Ostensibly based on the real-life theories of Alan Cantwell and Len Horowitz, the government-plot thriller aspect of this novel is intriguing (not to say disrupting, in a light romantic comedy) but too neatly resolved to provoke much suspense, and Tulchinsky adds little to the familiar turf of post-breakup soul-searching. Nonetheless, Nomi is a charming and original heroine, and Tulchinsky is at her comic best when describing Nomi's relationships with friends and family, including her earthy grandmother and uncle Solly, a lovable wiseguy on the lam. Author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 267 pages
• Publisher: Raincoast Books, Press Gang Publishers (May 13, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0889740828
• ISBN-13: 978-0889740822
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,563,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Karen X. Tulchinsky is an award winning author and screenwriter. Her first book, IN HER NATURE won the VanCity Book Prize, BC's largest literary award. Her most recent novel, THE FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES LAPINSKY was a Toronto Book Award Finalist and winner of the ONE BOOK ONE VANCOUVER PRIZE. She has edited ten literary anthologies including Queer View Mirror, the Hot and Bothered series and To Be Continued. She has had six screenplays in development. Her screenplay I SHOT THE SHERIFF a western set in 1860 is being produced this summer. She has also written for Television series, including Robson Arms, The Guard, Glutton for Punishment and Kink.

Her directorial debut, MS THING has screened in over a dozen film festivals internationally and won AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD at Queer Fruits Film Festival, Australia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVED IT!!!, February 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Love Ruins Everything (Paperback)

I stumbled across this book in the library and I'm so glad I did! Tulchinsky had me laughing out loud! I loved Nomi (she was like the dyke version of Holden Caulfield)Henry and the rest of the crew. The author was inclusive (dom, femme, straight, gay, black, white, Jewish) without being preachy and informative (i learned so much about AIDS from this book) without being "heavy." She achieved a nice mix of entertainment and education--not just about AIDS but about the entire "gay expreience."

I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel-- she HAS to let us know what happens with Nomi and Julie, Henry and Roger, her mom and Murray and Albert's new fling. I will definitely be keeping my eye on this author.

5.0 out of 5 stars And How!, July 9, 2004

By 

Dona Glasscock "aloha_from_paradise" (Paradise, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lost and Found Pb (Paperback)

A great book for young and old dykes and the people who love them. Toulchinsky is a master at original dialogue. This book is a quick, funny, real read. I highly recommend it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Love sucks, sometimes, January 6, 2004

By 

"blissengine" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love Ruins Everything (Paperback)

Nomi is a Jewish butch whose lover leaves her for a man, despite the love they share. She crashes at a friend's place as she tries to figure out her next move, but her mother finds her nonetheless. Her mother is getting remarried and Nomi has to go home to Toronto. In the dead of winter. She reconnects with her cousin Henry, who's recovering from being gay-bashed. Henry discovers that he has developed AIDS, and his partner Roger tolerates, barely, Henry's continued involvement with Albert and his conspiracy theories about the American government trying to kill him. Albert has alarming proof about the origin of AIDS, which he claims the American government created, and he's looking for someone to write the article. Nomi also reconnects with Julie, the woman who got away, but this time the sparks fly and become a brilliant blaze. Meanwhile, Roger and Henry go through their own hard times. Full of humor and heartache, "Love Ruins Everything" is a delightful romance that will charm every reader.